Nasty Boyz
by Crash
Summary: Revised and completed. A recruiting mission takes Scott and Rogue into the heart of Newark. And into a Lion's Den. But by the time they realize that, it's too late to get out on thier own..
1. Prelude

Nasty Boyz

Opening comments: This is a work of fanfiction. It uses official characters from X-Men: Evolution, whom are copyrighted to Marvel. All other characters mentioned are also copyrighted to Marvel, and have been adapted for use in the Evolution continuum. As far as continuity goes, this story takes place late in the first season, not long before the original Cerebro console is destroyed. Rated for violence.

Nasty Boyz

By Crash

Highway 78, just outside of Newark, New Jersey...

"Ah still say we should 'ave taken the Blackbird," said Rogue, irritably. She was sitting the passenger seat of a red convertible. A convertible that was moving at a snail's pace, stuck in the middle of a particularly bad traffic jamb.

Scott Summers, sunglasses and all, sat in the drivers seat. "Give me another hour, then I'll agree with you," he replied stoically. The car behind Scott honked angrily, prompting Scott to reply in the typical fashion. "Hey, shut up! I'll move when I can!" Scott turned towards Rouge with slight scowl on his face. "Okay, half an hour."

Rogue sighed, disgustedly. "Tell me again why we're drivin' intah this here rat infested swamphole?"

"Do you ever listen to briefings?" Scott asked, sarcastically. Without waiting for a reply, he continued. "The Professor said Cerebro detected a mutant signature in central Newark. We're going to find the mutant, talk to her, and then try and recruit her to the Institute."

"Ain't that usually Jean's job?"

"Yes," Scott replied, patiently. "But the Professor thinks you're the right person for this job. According to the profile we got on the girl, she's a rather anti-social girl. Inner city, single parent who's away on business trips, few friends... That sort of thing. Jean couldn't possibly connect with a girl like that. Jean's too peppy, upbeat..."

"...Popular," interjected Rogue, rudely.

Scott smirked. "Exactly. Our new girl would see Jean as just another snotty popular girl and wouldn't listen to a word she says."

"Still, there's got ta be someone bettah than me..."

"Like who?" Scott prompted.

"Oh, Ah don't know," said Rogue. "Evan, maybe..."

"Egotistical, loudmouth jock," replied Scott nonchalantly.

Rogue stared at Scott for a moment with a incredulous look on her face. "Kitty..."

"Young, overactive ditz..."

"Kurt..."

"An overeager goof who falls over his own feet..."

"Storm..."

"Old and aloof..."

"Wolve--"

"Do I really need to give you a list for him?"

Rogue regarded Scott with a stunned expression on her face. "It's so nice ta know you have such a high opinion of us, Scott."

"Pretentious, arrogant, and generally believed to have a stick shoved up his posterior... Don't think I don't know what people say about me..." Abruptly, his tone softened. "Rogue, you're the only one of us that will be able to connect with this girl. The Professor thinks that makes you the best person for this job. So do I. If you don't trust him, trust me."

Finally having run out of arguments, Rogue gave in. "All right, all right... So what's this new mutant look like, anyway?"

Scott pointed to a folder laying on the seat between the two. "Here's the girl's profile. It has everything Cerebro found out about the girl. Her picture should be near the front."

Rogue picked up the folder and started looking through it. "Erin Valchek," she read, rather unenthusiastically. "Age: 17, one parent, yadda, yadda yadda..." Rogue flipped to the next page, which displayed a picture of the girl. "Oh look. A blonde. Just what we need on the team..." With a sigh, Rogue closed the folder and leaned back in her seat. "Hey Scott, d'ya think you can put on some music?"

"Sure. But Kitty phased through my car the other day, so now the radio doesn't work."

"Great," mumbled Rogue. "So what CD's do you have?"

"Well, lets see..." With traffic now at a dead stop, Scott rummaged through the glove compartment. "I've got some Pearl Jam, Oasis, Smashing Pumpkins..."

"What about this one?" Rogue held up an unmarked home-burned CD.

Uh, that's Kitty's CD," Scott said, slowly. "Play it at you're own risk."

Disgustedly, Rogue tossed the CD back in the glove compartment. "Lets go with Oasis. Anything's better than Kitty's stuff..."

--------------------


	2. Descent

02

--------------------

Several hours later, inside an high school in central Newark...

Scott and Rogue were standing in the high school commons. The final bell of the day had just rung, and students of all sorts were milling around the room. Scott surveyed the room anxiously. "I don't see her. How 'bout you?"

"Nah. And Ah don't think we will, standing out here." Rogue paused as Scott gave her a questioning look. "If what it said on her profile is right, she prob'ly won't be standing around with everyone else. She'll be in some corner or empty hallway with a few of her friends. It's what Ah'd do. It's what Ah did..."

"Fair enough," said Scott, slipping into his 'combat' voice. "Follow your gut, but don't go too far. I'll keep watch from here."

Rogue saluted, mockingly. "Yes suh, Big Brother. Whatever you say."

"One last thing," added Scott, "use your real name. 'Rogue' isn't exactly a name that will instill trust in our new recruit..."

Rogue rolled her eyes, then walked off.

--------------------

Keeping a sharp eye out, Rogue walked around the periphery of the room. So far, she hadn't seen any sign of the mutant she was supposed to meet. Anxiously, she looked across the room. Sure enough, Scott was still standing against the wall, watching her. Her, and everyone else in the room. Shaking her head at Scott's overprotectiveness, Rogue turned her attention back to her search.

Rogue passed a hallway entrance, and casually looked down it. As she did, an odd shadow in the hall caught her eye. After a closer look, the shadow turned out to be a small niche in wall. "That's a hangout if ever Ah've seen one," she said to herself.

Trying her best to look natural, Rogue walked down the hall. As she passed the niche, she cast a stray glance into it. Sure enough, there were three kids in it, all talking quietly to each other. The students bore all the signs of being outcasts. From the hushed tones of their voices to the heavy trenchcoats and jackets they wore. Rogue didn't recognize the first two of the kids, but the third was unmistakably the mutant she was looking for. Rogue allowed herself a small smile. 'First stage complete,' she thought. 'Now ta talk ta her...'

Rogue walked into the niche. "Hey... What's up?" She asked casually. The three students glared at her. In the ensuing silence, Rogue felt what little confidence she had quickly melt away. She began backing away. "Uh, sorry if Ah'm interrupting anything..."

One of the students, an odd looking boy with slicked back reddish hair and a trenchcoat, sneered at Rogue. "Good. Nice to know you have enough manners to know when to apologize."

Rogue looked at the kid and snorted. "Well, that puts me a few steps above you..."

Erin, who was noticeably taller than the other two kids, nudged the first kid's shoulder, mockingly. "Oh-hoo... She got ya there, George."

"Oh, shut up," George shot back.

Irritably, Rogue shook her head. So far, she was not accomplishing what she had come her to do. Hoping to get things over with quickly, Rogue decided to take the blunt route. "Uh, look," she said to Erin. "Ya're Erin Valchek, right."

At the sound of her name, Erin sharply glanced up at Rouge. "Yeah," she replied, with a suspicious edge to her voice. "Who's asking?"

"Marie," Rogue responded. She quickly slipped into the 'recruiter' tone she had heard Scott and Jean use so many times. "Ah'm from the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. The higher ups in the Institute have been hearin' some things about you, and they wanted ta me come out and talk t'ya."

"'Xavier Institute?!" The third student, a blond boy who had until then seemed rather disinterested, suddenly perked up. "What does the Xavier Institute want with Erin?"

This question caught Rogue off guard. Despite her limited recruiting experience, Rogue knew that publicly proclaiming Erin as a mutant would not be a good idea. Not in front of her friends, at least. To buy time to think of an appropriate explanation, Rogue asked a question of her own. "You've heard of us?"

This question caught the student equally off guard. "Well... Sort of. I've just 'eard the name, and that its a real exclusive joint..."

"Yeah, Ah guess we are," agreed Rogue. "Anyway, the Institute is kinda interested in havin' ya join, Erin. Ah was wonderin' if Ah could talk ta ya and ya're parents about the Institute. Nothin' big, just tell ya what we have t'offer and why we want ya." Rogue finished her pitch with what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"I don't know," said Erin, slowly. "I kinda like where I am right now..."

"Ya don't need to decide now," said Rogue, hastily. "All we want is a chance ta explain what ya're options are--"

George, still ticked off from the beginning of the conversation, cut Rogue off. "Look, she already gave her answer! What part of 'NO' don't you understand?!" He stepped up in Rogue's face, almost daring her to argue. 

"George, relax!" The blond kid's comment almost sounded like order. 

"Ugh, look Marie," began Erin, "I appreciate the offer, really. But..." Erin trailed off, apparently searching for the right words. "...I'm just too busy right now to really think about moving anywhere. I mean, I can barely handle school right now. I don't think I'd be able to handle being in any type of program for the 'gifted.' Sorry..." 

Erin checked her watch. "Anyway, we'd better get going. See ya around..." Erin started walking off with the two boys following after her. Rogue was left standing in the hallway, alone, with the bitter taste of failure in her mouth.

--------------------

Back in the commons...

As he watched Rogue walk down the hallway, a scowl formed on Scott's normally dispassionate face. He knew Rogue had the right idea in searching out-of-the-way parts of the school, but he still wanted Rogue in sight. Too many things could go wrong, otherwise. Scott discretely began walking across the commons, trying to find a clear view of the hallway.

However, just as he left the wall, Scott was bowled over by a large, fast moving black kid. The black kid got to he feet angrily. "Hey! Watch where you're going'!"

"Me? Who's the one moving at mach five?" Scott spat back. "Schools are meant for walking, not cruising."

The black kid stepped up into Scott's face. With a trace of irony, Scott noticed that this kid was also wearing sunglasses. "Ooh, a smart-ass," said the kid, his voice dripping with malice. "You wanna make something of it, preppy?"

Scott felt his powers flare up behind his glasses. "Only if you make me. Now if you'll excuse me..." Scott tried to move past the student. The student responded by shoving Scott back. Scott felt his powers flare up again. "I do not need this..." he mumbled. 

"What was that?" The kid shoved Scott back again. "I didn't quite hear you..."

"Yo! Bas!" At the sound of this new voice, the black kid backed off a little. Scott looked past the black kid, towards the speaker, who turned out to a massive white student with a shaved head, carrying a duffel bag. "Come on, Bas! You remember what Coach said about being late to wrestling practice..."

Bas, the black kid, sneered at Scott for a moment longer. "We'll finish this later, punk!" With that, Bas turned and stalked off after his friend.

"Hmm," snorted Scott, "that was a pleasant experience..." Muttering to himself, Scott continued on to the hall he saw Rogue walk into. He got to the hall just in time to see three students hurriedly walk out of it.

"Well, at least those three didn't run over me," Scott mumbled. He looked down the hall, and saw Rogue standing in the middle of it, alone. Casually, he walked up to her. "Hey, Rogue. I lost ya for a moment, so I thought I'd come check up on you. Any luck?"

"Shut up, Scott," she replied angrily. "We've got some kids ta follow." With that, Rogue practically dragged Scott out of the hallway.

--------------------

Later, elsewhere in Newark...

"Are you sure we're in the right area?" Asked Scott. He was back in his car, driving around one of the more run-down parts of Newark. Rogue had insisted on following Erin when she left the school, but she and Scott got stuck in traffic, and lost Erin's trail. Because of this, their tracking efforts were guesswork at best.

"Ah saw her car turn onto this road," replied Rogue, keeping an eye on the road. "And this is the only neighborhood it leads ta. She has ta be here. Somewhere..."

A moment passed, with both Scott and Rogue searching the road in silence. Abruptly, Rogue spoke up. "Scott! Pull over here!"

Scott complied. "You see her?"

"Over there." Rogue pointed down a side street. The street was flanked by abandoned buildings, with a couple vacant lots between them. One of the vacant lots was occupied by several figures. Rogue got out of the car. "That's gotta be them. I'm goin' in."

"Fine, but I'm going with you." Scott also got out of the car.

"Scott, Ah thought Ah was doin' this alone?"

"You are," said Scott, again slipping into his combat tone. "I'm watching you're back. We were safe in the school, but I'm not taking any chances out here."

Rogue heaved an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Just don't look to obvious."

"Trust me. I won't." Without saying another word, Scott melted into the shadows of the run down buildings.

Rogue shook her head dismissively. "That boy worries too much..." Steeling herself for another confrontation, Rogue walked down the street towards the vacant lot.

--------------------

Rogue approached the vacant lot cautiously. As much as she hated to admit it, Scott did have a valid point about being careful. Craning her neck, Rogue looked towards the lot. Though she was still some distance away, she was close enough to make out the identity of the figures. It was Erin, along with George and the blond kid who's name she never caught. "Great," she muttered. "Ah still have ta deal with those guys..."

As she continued walking towards the lot, Rogue pondered how to deal with the two boys. Unfortunately, no ideas were forthcoming. To make matters worse, she was spotted before she actually reached the lot.

"Hey, look at what we 'ave here, mates!" It was the blond kid who spotted her first. Though Rogue didn't notice it during her first encounter, the kid spoke with a distinct Australian accent. "It's the X-Girl!"

Rogue flinched at this. 'Its just him tryin' a be clever,' she thought to herself. 'He may know about the Institute, but he can't possibly know about the X-Men. Xavier keeps his secrets bettah than that.' Nonetheless, it was an unnerving coincidence.

The rest of the trio walked into clear view. As Rogue reached the lot, she was greeted by a smirking Erin. "Huh. You're a persistent one, aren't you Marie?"

"That's one thing they teach us at the Institute," replied Rogue with a smirk of her own. "Look Erin, Ah know ya--"

Erin cut Rogue off rather rudely. "Marie, no offense, but save your breath. I told you, I'm not 'gifted' material. I pull straight C's at best. And that's with George helping me. I would bomb at a 'gifted' Institute."

Rogue heaved an exasperated sigh. Things were going no better than they were the first time. Despite everything Xavier and Scott said, Erin just wasn't listening to her. Rogue was becoming frustrated and it was starting to show. "Erin, it's not like that. The Institute is there ta help kids--"

"'Help?'" This seemed to offend Erin. "Look girl, I'm just fine where I am right now! I don't need any help, and I don't want any help! Got that?"

"Look, if ya'll just let me explain--"

"Explain what?" Cut in George. He still seemed bitter from the last encounter. "Explain why she should just get up and go to your little 'Institution?' Why she should leave the only friends she has just because some dorks in power think she's 'gifted?'"

George's comments were getting under Rogue's skin, and she lost her temper. "Why should Ah explain anything ta you!? Ah came ta talk ta her, not some slicked back swamp-rat like you!"

"Hey, now..." The blond kid looked on apprehensibly.

"Stay out of this, Alec," ordered Erin. "This is between us and her!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," said George, egging Rouge on. "D'you wanna say that again?"

"Back off, NOW!" All eyes turned to the edge of the lot, where a grim faced man in red sunglasses walked out of the shadows. Scott quickly placed himself in front of Rogue, and glared at the other two kids. For their part, George and Erin glared back. "If you're trying to pick a fight," said Scott menacingly, "I'd stop right now."

"Don't worry, mate," soothed Alec. "George wasn't gunna--"

Abruptly, George shoved Scott backwards. Seeing this, Rogue angrily charged at Erin. Erin countered by sidestepping around her, and delivering a swift chop to Rogue's back. The blow sent Rouge to the ground. As Rogue tried to get up, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of vertigo. Surrounded by a faint glow, she stayed on the ground.

With Rogue neutralized, Erin cast a quick glance at Scott. Scott had regained his footing, and seemed to be preparing for George's next attack. "Stay back, George," said Erin. Her eyes glowed with power, and the glow suddenly shot out towards Scott. The glow enveloped him, causing him to feel the same vertigo that Rogue did. With her eyes still glowing, Erin grinned. "What's the matter, kid? Not feeling well?"

With very slow, deliberate movements, Scott looked up at Erin. "Don't do this, Erin. You may think your power makes you invincible, but you're wrong. Being reckless like this will only endanger yourself, and your friends."

"Oh yeah?" Mocked Erin. "Look at yourself. You can barely stand up, let alone fight. How are you a danger to me?" Erin trailed off laughing.

Still keeping his movements controlled, Scott looked at the ground at Erin's feet. Praying his aim was true, Scott slowly lifted his glasses. A blinding red beam shot out of Scott's eyes. Scott closed his eyes after a mere second, cutting off the blast, but it still left a sizable hole in the ground in front of Erin. 

As the blast went off, Erin gave a startled scream and fell backward. "He's powered!" She yelled frantically. "Get out of here!" The glow faded from here eyes, and she took off running. George followed right behind her.

"Hey! Hey, hold up!" Alec held his ground, but his companions ran right past him, fleeing down the street. "Blast," he muttered disgustedly. Shaking his head, he walked over to Scott, who was helping up Rogue.

"Wha... What happened?" Asked a dazed Rogue.

"Looks like Erin's powers pack quite a kick," said Scott. Rogue's expression told Scott that his answer hadn't explained anything. "Apparently, Erin's powers disorient people. She knows it, and knows how to use it. This could be..." Scott cut himself off, finally noticing Alec. "What're you still doing here?"

Alec gave Scott a weak grin. "Ah, look mate, I'm real sorry 'bout Erin. She kinda wigs out sometimes. And George, he 'as a temper and... Ah, you know 'ow it goes..."

Rogue glared at Alec accusingly. "So you knew she was a mutant. You knew it all along."

"Yeah..." Alec ran his fingers through his hair, obviously embarrassed by his companion's actions. He looked back to Scott. "You're from the Institute too, huh? An' you're both mutants?" He paused long enough for Scott to nod. "Everyone there's a mutant, right?"

"Yes," replied Scott. "The Institute is a sanctuary for mutants. They live around others mutants to develop a sense of community and acceptance. To learn that they aren't so different and so alone." Scott tone soured slightly. "They're also taught how to control their powers, and their tempers, so incidents like this one don't happen."

Alec nodded. "Yeah... Life 'as been pretty hard on Erin. George an' I are the only ones who know about Erin... We're her only friends, really..." Alec sighed, thinking. "Look, if what you say it true, I think this Institute could really help Erin. But, I doubt she's gunna want to leave..."

Rogue snorted. "We kinda noticed that."

A thoughtful look formed on Scott's face. "What if you talked to her." Scott regarded the confused look on Alec's face. "Erin doesn't trust us, but obviously, she does trust you. If you talked to her, told her to consider the Institute, she might actually consider it."

"You may be right," said Alec. "Tell ya what, I'll talk to her tonight. Explain things a bit, and convince her to talk to you. You two show up tomorrow, say during lunch, and then you can tell just what the Institute can offer. Sound good?"

Scott nodded. "I think so. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Great." Alec turned and started walking off. About ten steps later, he turned back around. "Aaaaah... Ah, mate, I never quite caught your name..."

Scott smirked. "Summers. Scott Summers."

Alec smirked back. "Alec Cranston. See ya 'round." Alec gave a mock salute, and walked off.

Rogue watched Alec walk away with an exhausted look on her face. "Well, that could have gone bettah. What now?"

Scott exhaled loudly. "Now, we talk to the Professor."

--------------------


	3. Interlude

Nasty Boyz

--------------------

A short while later, back at Scott's car....

Still trying to cool down from the fight, Rogue was holding a cell phone up to her head. "...No, Professah, things didn't go so good. She didn't want ta listen... Not even ta me. When I talked ta her in school, she basically told me ta bug off. I tried ta talk ta her again, after school, but things went even worse that time."

"How so?" Prompted Xavier.

"She and one of her friends picked a fight with us. Not a big one, but Erin used her powers in it." Rogue rubbed her temples in memory of how Erin's powers affected her.

Xavier's voice remained calm, but did carry a note of concern with it. "A fight? Did anyone notice? More importantly, did anybody get hurt?"

Rogue shook her head. "No. We were in a vacant lot, and Scott scarred her off before anyone really got hurt."

"Ah, good." Xavier's relief was evident. "Can you put Scott on?"

Rogue elbowed Scott and tossed him the phone. "Yaur turn."

Scott deftly caught the phone and put it to his ear. "What's up, Professor?"

"I hear you stopped a little altercation between Rogue and our new mutant. Care to elaborate?"

Scott scowled. "It wasn't much of a fight, really. After a bit of shoving, Erin activated her powers, and tried to immobilize us. I fired an optic blast into the ground, and she ran off."

"Ya make that sound like it wasn't a big deal," commented Rogue.

Missing Rogue's comment, Xavier continued his conversation with Scott. "Hmm. Is there any chance of talking to Erin again? Preferably without any confrontation."

"Actually Professor..." For a brief moment, Scott's voice held an optimistic note in it. "...There is. Erin ran off after the fight, but one of her friends didn't. He said he'd talk to Erin, and convince her to listen to us. He said he could get Erin to meet us tomorrow during lunch."

"Excellent. That should work out nicely."

"One other thing, Professor." At this point, the optimism left his voice, and Scott almost slipped into his 'combat' tone. "During the fight, Erin was very comfortable using her powers. She seemed to know exactly what she was capable of. Her friends also knew she was mutant. From the looks of things, I'd say Erin has known about, and been using her powers for a long time now..."

Xavier was unconcerned by this information. "Don't be so sure Scott. First appearances can often be deceiving. Erin and her friends may just adapt quickly to new situations. Besides, if she had used her powers earlier, Cerebro would have detected it. I wouldn't worry about it."

"All right," replied Scott, wearily. "In that case, Rogue and I will head back to the mansion now. Keep a light on for us."

"Actually, Scott," interrupted Xavier. "Considering how long your drive took this morning, that might not be a good idea."

"What would you suggest?" Asked a confused Scott. "That we spend the night in Newark?"

"Precisely," quipped Xavier.

Scott stared blankly at his steering wheel for a moment. "Uh, sir, we didn't exactly come here prepared to spend the night. I may be able to afford it, but I don't think Rogue and I would make a good impression if we wear the same clothes two days in a row..."

Xavier chuckled. "Not to worry, Scott. Before you left, I had Ororo pack a couple suitcases in your trunk. It should have enough to get you through the night. Both in terms of clothes, and cash. Meanwhile, I'll arrange to have a hotel room reserved for the two of you."

Scott's expression remained rather blank. "Oh... Okay then..."

"Good. I'll call the school and arrange for you and Rogue to be excused for another day." After a slight pause Xavier continued in a softer tone. "Scott, you and Rogue have had a busy day. Take some time off. Enjoy the evening. Just don't be too extravagant. Xavier out." With that, Xavier cut off the connection.

Rogue watched Scott anxiously as he put down the phone. "So, what'd he say?" Scott didn't immediately respond. "C'mon, Scott, are we heading home or what?"

"Not exactly," Scott answered slowly.

"What's that supposed ta mean?"

Scott paused another moment. Abruptly, he looked up at Rogue. "Know of any good movies we can see?"

--------------------

Elsewhere in Newark...

Alec scowled as he walked down the hallway towards his apartment. It had not been a good day. Not only had the two people from the Xavier Institute shown up, but Erin had made matters even worse by picking a fight with them. But what really irked Alec was that he had warned Erin not to antagonize them, yet she did it anyway. And now it was Alec's job to report the incident.

Alec unlocked the door to his apartment, and despite himself, a smile formed on his face. Coming home to his apartment never failed to cheer Alec up. After all, Alec was only fifteen, but the apartment was HIS. No parents, no roommates, absolutely no one. The apartment was his to do whatever he wished with.

However, the feeling was fleeting, and the gravity of his situation soon dampened Alec's attitude. Throwing his trenchcoat over the nearest chair, Alec hurried to his living room. On his desk was a very elaborate computer, complete with a webcam, headset, and a multitude of other features. Alec put on the headset, and activated the console.

A moment later, a picture of a laboratory appeared on his screen. A well built man with short, black hair and a pale complexion walked into view. He was reading something on a clipboard, completely oblivious to everything around him. Alec typed a few things on his keyboard and adjusted his headset. "Hey. G'day, Nate."

Nathan, the figure on the screen, looked up, chuckling. His gaze quickly fell upon the webcam mounted on the lab's main computer. "Ah, hello Ruckus." Nathan's voice had a hollow, metallic ring to it. "I wasn't expecting a call from you tonight. Is something on your mind?"

"Yeah. Yeah, there is." Alec's tone was deathly serious. "We've got problems, Nate. Earlier today, two kids from the Xavier Institute showed up at school."

Nathan's face suddenly contorted with rage. "WHAT?!"

"They were looking for Erin," Alec replied hastily. "They know she's a mutant, and they're trying to recruit 'er. They were persistent 'bout it, too. Tried to talk to 'er after school as well." On Alec's screen, Nate threw down his clipboard in frustration. Alec continued in an earnest tone. "That ain't the worst of it, though. After school, Erin and George picked a fight with the kids. And Erin used 'er powers on 'em."

"How did it end?" Growled Nathan.

"One of the Institute kids fired some blast at Erin, and she and George ran off." Alec leaned closer to his webcam. "Look, I talked to the Institute kids afterwards and tried to smooth things out. I think I bought us some time, but not much. We have 'til tomorrow to deal with this!"

Nathan slammed his fist onto his desk and tried to calm himself. "One day... It will have to suffice." Nathan paused for a moment, thinking. Abruptly, he looked up at the webcam. "The two kids from the Institute, who where they?"

Sensing that Nathan didn't blame him for the incident, Alec relaxed a little. "The first kid called 'erself Marie. She was kind short... Black skirt, see-through top, and had brown hair with a white stripe in the front."

Nathan nodded. "Yes, yes, the rogue. Who was the second?"

"He called 'imself Scott Summers. Tall, reddish hair, wears sunglasses, and can shoot some kind a' red blast from 'is eyes." On the screen, Nathan's jaw was hanging open, and he was staring past the webcam with a stunned look on his face. "He's the one, ain't he?" Said Alec, slowly. "The one you tried so hard to get. The guy I was supposed to replace."

"Yes..." Nathan's voice was barely above a whisper. "Summers is here... And those were the only two you saw?"

"I think so, Nate. I'd ask the others just to make sure, but they were only ones I saw."

"I never thought I'd get this close again..." At this point, Nathan was so lost in thought that he didn't even look at the webcam. "You said that you bought us time. That we'd have until tomorrow to deal with them. How?"

"I told them that I'd talk to Erin. That'd I tell her consider their offer. They're gunna talk to 'er at lunch tomorrow." Alec looked at the screen earnestly. "What do we do?"

Nathan took a long time to consider his response. "You will talk with them. Erin will apologize for her earlier behavior, and listen to what they have to say. She will decide that she should go to the Institute. Then she will invite Summers over to her house after school, so that he can convince Erin's mother of the same thing."

Alec looked at Nathan apprehensibly. "But, Nate, Erin doesn't live with 'er mother. She lives alone. Just like we all do..."

"Yes, Ruckus, I know. But it is imperative that Summers not suspect anything until it is too late."

"Why?" Asked Alec. "What are we going to do with him?"

"We must get Summers alone. We must even separate him from the rogue. And when he's alone, Ruckus," Nathan looked deeply into the webcam. "You will attempt to recruit him to our team."

Alec gulped. "Me... I don't know if I can do that, Nate. He really doesn't seem like the type of guy who's easily swayed..."

"He isn't," assured Nathan. "Nonetheless, the attempt must be made. We cannot simply ignore an opportunity like this..."

"Alright," replied Alec. "I'll give it a shot. But if I can't do it..."

"If he does not join voluntarily, coerce him. Should that fail..." Nathan's expression hardened. "Then he is expendable. I found you. If nobody else controls Summers, then you shall be sufficient."

Alec nodded slowly. "Alright. What about the girl?"

"The rogue... I have watched the struggle over her. She is not worth the effort it would take to tame her. She too is expendable."

"Okay." Nathan and Alec were silent for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. At length, Alec spoke up again. "Nate... How could they have found out about Erin, but not the rest of us?"

"I shall check my equipment," Nathan replied thoughtfully. "Perhaps there was a momentary glitch in the system... But at the moment, that is not important. You've done well, Ruckus. Far better than I could have expected. I shall speak to the others now. Nathan out."

Alec's screen went black as Nathan broke the connection. "I hope you know what you're doing, Nate," he said to the blank screen. "Cause I have a feeling this isn't going to go smoothly..."

--------------------

Late that night, in a hotel room in Newark...

Scott, now dressed in boxers and a nightshirt, surveyed the room. "Y'know, Rogue, all things considered, this is a nice room Xavier set us up with. It's quiet, the A/C works, it even has free HBO! Really, what more could we ask for?"

"How 'bout separate rooms?" Slightly muffled by the bathroom door, Rogue's voice sounded even more irritated than normal.

"Well, if you wanna get picky about things..." Scott closed up his suitcase and stowed it next to his bed. True to his word, Xavier had packed Scott and Rouge a spare set of clothes, as well as some extra cash for the night. Scott noted that, as always, their uniforms were also packed. "Besides, it's not like the two of us are strangers or anything. We both trust each other. Right?" No reply. "Right..."

Rouge walked out of the bathroom in her full combat costume. Ignoring Scott, she walked straight to her suitcase and stuffed her old clothes in it.

'Or maybe not,' thought Scott. Out loud he asked "Uh, is that what you usually wear at night?"

"No." Rogue cast Scott a sideways glance. "Why? Ya disappointed, or somethin'?"

"Well, sort of," replied Scott, casually. "The professor has been know to play matchmaker on occasion, and I was kinda hoping that this whole mission was just some excuse to get us alone together." Scott finished his statement with a good natured grin.

Rogue stared at Scott with a scowl on her face. "Ya're nuts."

"I'm joking." Scott's expression soured. "And now you know why I don't try it much."

"Oh. Sorry..."

"Eh, don't worry about it." Scott walked over to the light switch and turned them off. "See you in the morning, Rogue..."

"Sure... 'Night Scott..."

--------------------


	4. Flashpoint

--------------------

The next morning...

"Hey, Rogue, time to get up." Ignoring Scott, Rogue pushed her face deeper into her pillow. "C'mon Rogue. We've got a mission, today." Rogue ignored Scott again, hoping he'd just go away. "Rogue, you've got five seconds to get up before I start getting violent."

'He wouldn't dare,' thought Rogue drowsily. Five seconds later, a pillow crashed into the back of her head. Rogue angrily yanked the pillow away from her assailant, sitting up in the process.

"I warned you," smirked Scott. Rogue noted that Scott was already up and dressed. She let out a groan at his incessant readiness. "The shower is all yours. Oh, and you slept through breakfast, so I saved a bagel for you."

Rogue groaned again as she looked around the room. "Slept through breakfast?" She said drowsily. "How early do they stop serving? Its still dark out..."

"Check again, Sleeping Beauty. I've got the curtains down. It's after 10:30." Scott sat down on his bed and turned on the TV. "Any time you're ready," he said absently.

Groaning yet again, Rogue grabbed her suitcase and stumbled off to the bathroom.

--------------------

Lunch time, in the commons...

From behind his glasses, Scott took a good look at the kids sitting around the lunch table. At his insistence, Rogue was the one doing most of the talking. Scott just hung back and clarified a few items. Since the attention wasn't on him, Scott found himself killing time by studying the other kids at the table.

First up was Erin, the potential recruit. Erin was kind of tall, well developed, and had pale blond hair. She could be quite attractive if she tried, Scott concluded. However, she didn't try. 'As if she doesn't care,' he thought. 'Course, that's natural enough. Not all kids care what their peers think...'

Normally Scott would have left it at this, but another thought was nagging his head. "But there's something different about her... The way she looks at people... It's almost... Disdainful.' Scott's brow furrowed. 'Of course... She knows she's a mutant. She's proud of it. She thinks that makes her better than everyone else.' Scott shook his head slightly. 'Hold up, Scott. You've got no proof of that. You're over analyzing things again. And even if she does actually feel that way, it's the Professor's concern, not yours...'

Reluctantly, Scott shifted his gaze to George. 'Nothing to complex here. Dark complexion, unnaturally black hair, heavy black trenchcoat, withdrawn demeanor... The stereotypical Goth. He probably has the same attitude as...' Scott cut off that line of thought. 'Probably sees Erin as a fellow outcast.' Scott looked deeply into George's set back eyes. There was a gleam in his eyes that didn't quite seem normal. '...He probably wishes he were a mutant, too...'

Scott's gaze shifted to the third kid, Alec Cranston. Of the three kids listening to the presentation, Alec seemed to be the most interested. He had long, curly blond hair, which now sported a few pink streaks that hadn't been there the previous day. He had a threadbare gray trenchcoat, which he wore over his AC/DC T-shirt and some jeans. Despite all this, he was probably the most professional-looking of the trio.

'Alec was the one who convinced Erin to talk with us,' mused Scott. 'Which means he really does care for her well being. He's probably known her for a long time... Best friends since they were kids, or something...' Scott paused as Alec asked Rogue a question about the Institute. 'There's something about him, though... He tries to act casual, yet he always has an air of professionalism around him. As if, he's got some responsibility that none of us could possibly know about...'

Scott's reverie was brought to an abrupt end when the school bell rang. 

"Well, Ah guess that's all we got time for," said Rogue, as students around her started milling around. "What d'ya say Erin?"

All eyes turned to Erin, who seemed to be giving the offer a great deal of thought. "Well, it does sound nice. And after the incident yesterday... I think going to the Institute may be for the best." Erin smiled nervously. "Of course, there's still my mom..."

"Don't worry about that," said Scott, sincerely. "Marie and I can talk to her about this. Convincing her to let you go to the Institute shouldn't be a problem."

"Great!" Erin began scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Here's my address. My mom gets off work at about five, so you can come over then."

"Cool," said Scott, accepting the paper. "We'll see ya then." 

After exchanging a few cordial farewells, Scott and Rogue got up and left the commons. Rogue managed to contain herself until they reached the parking lot, at which point she let loose. "YEEEESS!!! Ah did it, Scott! She agreed!"

Scott chuckled at his friend's over-enthusiastic outburst. "See, Rogue? I told you you were best one for the job. Now, lets get to the car so you can give Xavier the good news."

While they headed toward the car, Scott and Rogue's expressions remained cheerful. But although he didn't show it, Scott was worried. Something hadn't quite seemed right with Erin's acceptance. It seemed too... Rehearsed. Scott didn't mention anything out loud because he knew he had nothing to back up his observation. It was just a feeling, and he was probably just being paranoid. Nonetheless, Scott couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole affair.

--------------------

Outside a block of Newark row houses...

Scott's car came to a halt in front of one of the houses. "This looks like the place," said Scott as he read over the address Erin gave him. Scott unbuckled his seat belt and hopped over the door. "Lets go."

Rogue gave Scott an odd look for a moment, then reached over and took the keys out of the car's ignition. "Uh, Scott, ya forgetting something?" Rogue held up the keys, mockingly.

"Ug..." Scott shook his head slowly.

Rogue hopped out of the car. "Ya look worried, Scott. What's eatin' ya?"

Scott sighed uneasily. "Nothing big, Rogue. Just nerves, I guess."

Rogue raised her eyebrows. "You, nervous? Never thought Ah'd see the day..."

"Oh, quit it. I can't be Mr. Roboto all the time." Rogue giggled at this, causing Scott to scowl. "I can't believe I just called myself that," he muttered. "I've got to stop listening to Evan and his nicknames..."

"That'd prob'ly be a good ideah." With that, Rogue let the subject drop and walked up to the Valchek doorstep. Scott followed her, but his mind remained where it was.

'She's right,' he thought to himself. 'I shouldn't be this nervous. I mean, really, this is just a simple recruiting mission.' Scott forced himself to smile as Rogue rang the doorbell. 'Except we've already been attacked once on this mission. And we don't have any backup... And something just... Doesn't... Feel... Right...'

At that point, Erin answered the door. "Oh, hi guys. Come on it." Nodding politely, Scott did, and Rogue followed after him. "Mom said she'd be a bit late today, so have a seat. She shouldn't take long." Erin motioned to some chairs, then walked off to the kitchen.

Scott took a good look around the room before he sat down. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, but his sense of foreboding remained. 'Calm down Scott. You're just being paranoid.' With a grimace, Scott glanced down at his pocket. Though unnoticed by others, the bulge created by his visor seemed glaring obvious to him. 'Very paranoid... Maybe I'll talk to the professor about this once we get done.'

There was a knock on the door. Reflexively, Scott got up and opened the door. To his mild surprise, it was Alec.

"Hey, mate," Alec said cheerfully. "Did I miss anything?"

"Uh, no," Scott replied. "Erin's mom is still at work." Scott paused and gave Alec an odd look. "Why are you here, though?"

Alec shrugged off the question. "Ah, y'know... Just to watch. Maybe help smooth things over. Erin's Mom does know me better than she does you, after all." Scott had to concede that point. "So, can I come in, or what?"

"It's not my house," said Scott as he stepped out of the way.

"Erin won't mind."

Alec and Scott made their way back to the living room, where they were greeted by Erin. "Hey, Scotty. Wanna pop?" Scott nodded, and can was promptly tossed at him. Erin went on to offer the same to Rogue, who was looking through a magazine on the coffee table.

Still trying to hide his uneasiness, Scott took a seat in the corner of the room. After some hesitation, Alec pulled up a chair and sat next to him. "Hey, Scott, can I talk to you?" He asked quietly.

"Sure," replied Scott absently. "We've got some time."

"Cool." Alec scooted a little closer and spoke in a hushed tone. "Look, Scott, I know you're probably not supposed to tell much to 'outsiders,' but what's the Institute really like? I mean, if you've got a bunch of mutants living together..."

Scott nodded, understanding what Alec was getting at. "I'll admit, it gets pretty weird at times. While Institute rules don't allow reckless use of powers, they don't prohibit all use of powers. You'd be surprised how mutants try to 'spice up' mundane activities."

"I'll bet," chuckled Alec. "You ever get any prank wars?"

"A few. But we try to put a limit on that kind of thing." His paranoia finally dissipating Scott began enjoying the conversation. "Lets just say pranks have a tendency to get out of hand, and cause quite a bit of collateral damage. But as long as things stay civil, just about anything is allowed."

"Hmm. Erin should have fun with that..." Alec chuckled, then changed the subject. "So how many mutants do you have at the Institute? It can't be too many..."

"There aren't," confirmed Scott. "Mutants are still rare occurrences. Which is probably a good thing. I'm not sure how the general public would react if our existence became public knowledge..."

"No kidding. 'Eck, I know a mutant, an' I'm still having problems believing in them. For people who don't know one, that's gotta be a scary concept."

"Well, some of the people at the Institute are working on that. While the Institute's main purpose is to provide a safe haven for mutants today, its main long-term goal is to insure that mutants will never be treated as outcasts. The Institute is pledged to promote the idea of peaceful coexistence between mutants and normal people."

Alec regarded Scott for a moment. "Peaceful coexistence... As equals?"

Behind his glasses, Scott blinked at this. "Yeah... 'Course. Why wouldn't we?"

"Well, because you're not," Alec stated bluntly. "Scott, behind those glasses of yours, you've probably got enough power to level a building. And who knows what kind of powers other mutants are packin'. Do you really think that puts you on an equal footing as the average guy on the street."

Scott's brow furrowed. "I avoid using my power. And the Institute makes sure other mutants don't use theirs recklessly either."

"You think that's going to make a difference to people? The fact that you have power over them, even if you don't use it, is going to make people treat you differently." Alec broke off, searching for his next words. "'Sides... Why shouldn't they treat you differently? I mean... Physically, you are different! You're superior."

At the word 'superior,' Scott's paranoia returned with a vengeance. After a moment, he responded in a hushed tone. "Different, yes. But superior... That's a dangerous word to use. It implies that mutants are meant to rule over normal people. And that is not something we want to happen."

Alec continued in the same hushed tone. "Okay, maybe not rule, but you're still above normal. You've got to be some kind of elite. Even if all you do is protect people from other mutants. I mean, how can you justify not using your powers if it can benefit others? You can't! You've got a responsibility to use your powers."

This statement struck a nerve in Scott. Unbeckoned, memories of all the fights he had been in rushed through Scott's mind. He was reminded of all the times his teammates had been threatened. All the times he was forced to use his powers to save others. As these memories threatened to overwhelm him Scott began staring past Alec. "You're right," he mumbled. "We do have some responsibility..."

Alec noted the dazed expression on Scott's face, and knew it was time to make his move. Taking a long moment to consider his words, Alec continued. "Scott, Erin's mother isn't coming."

"What?" Confusion was evident in Scott's voice as his reverie was cut short. "Wha... Why not?"

"Because Erin doesn't live with her mother," said Alec, as he leaned in closer.

"Then... Who does she live with?"

Alec took another moment to consider his words. "Scott, the Institute isn't the only one who offers a safe haven for mutants. Another haven is provided by a man named Nathan Essex. Nathan discovered Erin a few years ago. Ever since then, he's taken care of her, and kept her safe."

Though he still wasn't fully comprehending the situation, Scott had regained his usual analytical composure. "But, why's he doing this independently? Wouldn't it be a lot more efficient if he teamed up with the Institute?"

"He and the Institute have some... Philosophical differences." As he said this, Alec's face hardened, and he looked deeply into Scott's glasses. "Scott, the mutant situation isn't going to get any better. As the years go by, more mutants are going to start showin' up. There's going to be more of 'em, and they're going to show up more frequently, and a lot more suddenly. Before you know it, all the 'havens' in the world aren't going to be able to handle the problem."

"What does that have to do with any 'philosophical differences?'" Demanded Scott.

"When the havens loose control of the situation, the existence of mutants will become public knowledge. And when that happens, things are going to get violent!" Alec's face hardened even more. "The race riots of the past will be nothing like what'll happen then. Mobs armed with machine guns will take to the streets! And they'll be huntin' mutants who can level city blocks with their bare hands!"

"It won't end up like that," retorted Scott, his own expression beginning to harden. "The Institute is working specifically to prevent that kind of mentality. The Institute won't let that happen--"

"They're trying, but they don't have enough time! The situation is just moving to fast for the Institute to handle." Alec inhaled deeply, trying to cool off some. "Yeah, eventually, the Institute's message will sink in. But not before things get violent. And by the time the fighting stops, there may not be any mutants left..."

"So, let me guess..." Said Scott in a deadpan voice. "The 'philosophical difference' is that the Institute thinks a war can be avoided, while Mr. Essex doesn't. Is that right?"

Alec nodded. "Essentially, yeah. Nate is looking for mutants with the most potential. He's taking in those mutants and keeping them safe, so they're still around to do some good after the fighting is over. Scott, he thinks you've got potential. More potential than anyone else he's ever seen! He want's you on his team."

Scott's voice remained deadpan. "Really... So Nathan doesn't think I'll survive the fighting if I stay at the Institute?"

Alec looked at Scot condescendingly. "Scott, if the Institute does anything publicly, it'll be the first place trashed when the fighting starts. You don't stand a chance if you stay there."

"So you don't think the Institute will be able to protect me."

"Scott, the Institute won't be able to protect anybody. Not you, and not anybody else there..."

Scott abruptly looked up and glared harshly at Alec. "Wrong, Alec. Y'see, I don't need the 'Institute's' protection. I **am** the 'Institute!'"

"You're deluded," scoffed Alec.

"Really?" Scott's voice developed a harsh edge to it. "I don't know where you get your information, Alec, but you've obviously missed one thing. I am the Institute's senior member! I've watched everyone there since the day they walked through the door. I know them better than they know themselves! They are my friends. My family. My team!" Scott's dropped an octave, giving it an ominous sound. "And if the 'Institute' can't protect them, I will."

"You really willing to do that?" Asked Alec, a sneer etched on his face. "Would you give your life for them?"

His voice only a whisper, Scott replied without hesitation. "In a heartbeat..."

Slightly unnerved, Alec regarded Scott curiously. "You... You really mean that, don't you?"

Scott stared at Alec for another moment, then abruptly stood up. "Rogue," he ordered hoarsely. "Get up. We're leaving!"

Rogue, who had struck up a conversation with Erin, and thus missed Scott's entire exchange, looked up in surprise. "Leavin'? But-- Hey, Scott, wait up!" Rogue scrambled to her feet and tried to catch up with Scott.

"Scott... You can't just walk away like this..." From his chair, Alec glared angrily at Scott.

"Watch me." Scott opened the door. Behind his glasses, his eyes widened in shock as he saw a white haired anthromorphic wolf-like creature standing in front of him. Snarling, the creature leapt at Scott. "Look out!" His battle instincts kicking in instantly, Scott ducked, causing the anthromorph to leap over him. Rogue, however, didn't react in time, and was knocked over.

As they went down, the anthromorph's claws ripped into Rogue's shirt, tearing off a sleeve. "Gah! Let go a' me!" Still not exactly sure what was happening, Rogue tried desperately to kick the creature away from her.

Scott stood up, looking at Rogue and the creature as they brawled on the ground. "Get clear of him, Rogue!" Commanded Scott as he fingered his glasses. "I just need one clear shot..."

Scott's concentration was broken when a blow to the back of the head sent him sprawling over Rogue and the anthromorph. Scott quickly rolled over, and found himself staring into the slit-iris eyes of Bas, the black kid from the school. However, now the kid was wearing brown fur-covered suit, with metallic blue trim. A combat suit if ever Scott saw one. 

"What's the matter, Punk?" Bas demanded, upon seeing Scott's expression. "Forget about me?"

"No." With that, Scott raised his glasses and send a optic blast into Bas' chest. With a strangled grunt, Bas was blasted out the door.

"Oh, no you don't!" Yelled Erin over the roar of Scott's blast. With her eyes glowing, a blast shot out from her hands and enveloped Scott. A combination of pain and vertigo assaulted his senses, causing him to loose his grip on his glasses. With Erin's assault still overwhelming his system, Scott thrashed about, lacking the presence of mind to close his eyes. As a result, his optic blast began slashing across the room.

"Erin, are you crazy?!" Yelled Alec as a blast streaked over his head. "You're gunna get us all killed! Cut your power!"

Before Erin could comply, a wild optic blast struck her in the chest, knocking her backwards. Erin made contact with the wall, and the glow instantly faded from here eyes. At the same time, the glow faded from around Scott, and he finally shut his eyes, killing the blast.

By this time, Rogue had managed to beat back her assailant, and she rushed over to where Scott knelt. "C'mon Scott," she said as she helped him to his feet. "We've got to get out of here--"

"You ain't goin' nowhere, little girl!" Rouge whirled and saw George standing in the doorway. "I think you'll be staying right here..." With an evil grin on his face, he began cracking his knuckles.

"Don't count on it, Swamprat!" Enraged, Rogue stepped up and drove her fist straight into George's gut. With a muted splash, her gloved fist made contact with, then went completely through George's chest. Rogue's eyes widened in horror as she realized the implications of this.

George let out a mocking laugh, then grabbed Rouge by the neck. He took a step back, spun, and tossed Rouge into the street. Rouge landed with a dull thud. "I've gotta tell ya, girl. That look on your face was priceless." George reached down to his belt and switched off his image inducer. His skin abruptly became a dark shade of purple. "Just priceless..."

Still chuckling, George turned his attention to a heavy set bald white guy standing next to the houses. "Hey 'Lith! Keep an eye on the girl. Make sure she doesn't make a break for it." 'Lith nodded silently. "I'm going to make sure Ruckus can handle--"

"HUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" 

Accompanied by an explosion of debris and a sonic boom, Scott Summers flew through the front wall of Erin's house. He got up slowly, clutching his right arm.

Groaning, Bas got up and stumbled toward George. "Uh... What happened?" He asked, still trying to recover from Scott's blast.

"I'd say Ruckus rocked the house," George replied, almost casually. "And ol' four-eyes was right in the middle of it."

Bas chuckled. "Good..."

At that point, Alec appeared at the doorway of Erin's house. "He still up?"

"You... You bet I am!" Scott spat out, finally making it to his feet.

Alec's face hardened into a scowl. He inhaled deeply, then let out a deafening scream. The air in front of him rippled as a concentrated sonic blast passed through it. However, Scott knew better than to get hit by the same blast twice. As soon as he saw Alec inhale, he dove to the side. As the sonic wave ripped past the ground beside him, Scott raised his glasses with his good hand, and let loose an optic blast.

The blast hit Alec's arm, slamming it against the doorframe. Alec let out a string of obscenities as he clutched his arm. "Basilisk, watch the girl! George, 'Lith, Anthro, take care of Summers!"

At Alec's order, the anthromorph leapt through the gaping hole in the wall and charged Scott. Anthro was quickly leveled by another optic blast. However, this proved enough of a distraction to allow 'Lith, the massive white guy, to get close to Scott. With one swipe, Scott was sent sprawling across the pavement.

At that point, Rogue managed to regain her senses. She looked up just in time to see Scott get brushed aside by the massive 'Lith. "Scott!" With a cry of concern, Rogue rushed forward to help her teammate.

"Not so fast, girlie." Rogue felt someone grab her arm, and nearly yank it out of its socket. Rogue turned and found herself face to face with Basilisk. "If Ruckus doesn't want you int'rferin', you won't be int'rferin'!" With that, Basilisk gave Rogue's arm a rough yank.

Rogue dove with the yank, hoping to keep her arm from further damage. She hit the ground rolling, and ended up beside Basilisk. Rogue was back on her feat before Basilisk even realized what she did. Pressing her advantage, Rogue delivered a quick kick to the back of Basilisk's knee.

The kick had minimal effects, barely phasing the black man. Basilisk responded with a backhand chop that caught Rogue in the chin and sent her sprawling. Basilisk rushed forward, reaching Rogue while she was still on her knees, facing away from him. 

"Nighty-night, girl." Basilisk's arms wrapped around Rogue's neck, putting her in a sleeper hold. Her breathing was quickly cut off, and she began futily trying to pull Basilisk's arms away from her neck.

Almost futily. Though he wore gloves, Basilisk's battle suit was sleeveless. After her encounter with Anthro, Rogue was also missing a sleeve. As Rouge tried to bull out of Basilisk's hold, their arms made contact, and Rogue's power activated. Basilisk let out a strangled cry as he felt his strength begin to melt away. After only a moment, he let go, falling backwards, while Rogue fell forward, still clutching her neck.

Rogue and Basilisk struggled to their feet at roughly the same time. "I don't know how you did that," spat out Basilisk. "But I'm going to make you sorry you did!"

Rogue's only response was a bestial snarl as she launched herself at her opponent. Basilisk tried to fight back, but was quickly overwhelmed. After being on the receiving end of a series of staggering punches, Basilisk tried to turn the tide of the fight by leaping at Rogue. The move failed miserably, as Rogue caught him mid-air and threw him over her shoulder. Basilisk's flight ended when he collided with 'Lith, who was still menacing Scott.

With Basilisk out of the way, Rogue got her first good look at the battle. Scott was standing in the middle of the street, with George on one side of him, and Anthro on the other side. Scott's right arm hung limply at his side, with his sweater stained a disturbing shade of crimson.

"Scott..." Shocked, Rogue could say nothing else.

At the sound of his name, Scott looked up. His face showed no emotion, save battered determination. "Rogue!" His voice sounded ragged, and almost desperate. "Get out of here! Now!"

The sight of her friend in such a condition unnerved Rogue. The fact that only moments earlier he was sitting in Erin's living room, chatting casually, only enhanced the effect. "But, Scott..."

"Now, Rogue! That's an order!" At that point, Anthro attacked. Scott spun around, and tore off his glasses with his good hand. However, Anthro cut his charge short, and avoided the blast. While Scott was distracted, George's arm extended a good ten feet and took out Scott's legs. As Scott fell to his knees, whirled around and fired an optic blast into George's chest. The shot ripped through George's body, doing no harm whatsoever.

As this was going on, Basilisk and 'Lith recovered. Rogue glanced at the duo, at Scott, then back to the duo. Basilisk and 'Lith gave her an angry glare, then charged her. Deciding she couldn't hesitate any longer, Rogue made a break for Scott's car. She hopped over the door, took the keys out of pocket, and started the car as quickly as she could.

Basilisk, still the faster of the two mutants, moved two intercept the car. As the car sped towards him, he jumped onto the hood, ready to rip the engine out. However, with half his power already sucked out by Rogue, he didn't have enough strength to do any real damage. Instead, he bounced off the hood, and fell to ground on the other side of the car.

Rogue spared the fallen Basilisk only a passing glance in the mirror as she sped off. "Ah'll be back for ya, Scott," she said to herself in a half panicked voice. "Ah'll be back for ya..."

With a growl, Basilisk got up and began chasing the car. "Bas! Forget about her!" Yelled Alec, still favoring his arm. "She's not important! Help secure Summers!"

"Don't sweat it, Ruckus," said George, almost casually. "Summers is as good as got."

Scott, who had regained his footing, stared defiantly at George. "Don't bet on it, Goo-Boy!"

George chuckled mockingly. Without warning, his body expanded, with his torso practically flying towards Scott. Scott started reaching for his glasses, but was too slow. George's opened hand smashed into Scott's face, keeping his glasses firmly in place. As a result of the blow, Scott was knocked to the ground, with George's hand still wrapped tightly around his face.

George smirked confidently at Alec. "See? Perfectly under control."

"Good," replied Alec, with a relieved smile. "Anthro, get the neural inhibitor. I'm going to go check on Erin." With that, Alec walked back into the house.

Meanwhile, under George's goop-like hand, Scott was on the verge of panicking. While it seemed as if Rogue had escaped, there was little hope for him to do the same. His arm was broken. He had a splitting pain in his chest. He was bleeding from multiple cuts. His ears were still ringing from Alec's scream. Overwhelming amounts of pain were making it difficult to keep a steady train of though. And to top it off, he was having a hard time breathing under George's suffocating grip.

As Scott hovered at the edge of unconsciousness, he noticed something. It was a quiet crackling sound coming from something near him. Slowly, almost casually, Scott's mind identified the source of the sound. It was coming from his glasses. Since the battle started, his body had taken plenty of abuse, as had his glasses. The abuse had taken it's toll, and now that George's hand was crushing them against Scott's face, the glasses were beginning to crack.

Abruptly, the stress became too much, and the lenses shattered. Scott's optic blast let loose, leaving a gaping hole in George's palm, and sending the lens shards flying. George yelped and yanked his hand away, more due to surprise than pain. Snarling, Scott zeroed in on the source of George's voice. His power flared, and a massive blast sent George flying across the street.

"Ruckus!" Yelled 'Lith. "Summers is loose! He got George and--" 'Lith was cut off as Scott turned his gaze to the massive mutant. The blast caught 'Lith in the chest, sending him sprawling. 

Scott heard someone to the right of him. He turned to face the new menace, unwittingly keeping his eyes open and strafing everything between 'Lith and his attacker. The attacker took the blast in the gut, and was knocked backwards. Only then, when he heard his attacker hit the pavement, did Scott close his eyes. Hurriedly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his visor. With his good hand, he unfolded the ear-straps and slipped it on.

Breathing raggedly, Scott surveyed the scene. Basilisk, his attacker, lay on the ground a mere five feet from Scott. George was still splattered across the street, with 'Lith on the ground near him. With a grunt of satisfaction, Scott noted that Anthro had also on the ground, having been caught by Scott's strafing. With his senses still reeling from the abuse he had taken, he didn't even notice the massive amount of collateral damage that had been done during the battle.

The sound of grunting quickly brought Scott's attention back to 'Lith. Behind his visor, Scott's eyes widened in horror as he saw the behemoth struggle to his feet. Anthro began to stir as well, and would soon be back in the fight. For quite possibly the first time in his life, Scott's nerve failed him...

...And he ran. 

A short moment later, 'Lith charged after him, with Anthro hot on his heels.

--------------------


	5. Aftershocks

Nasty Boyz

--------------------

Inside the Valchek house...

Alec moved quickly to Erin's side. "You okay?" He asked, brushing some rubble off her. 

Erin blinked, slowly regaining consciousness. "I... I think so... What happened?"

"You got hit by Summers' blast," answered Alec as he helped Erin get up. "Don't worry, now. We've got everything--"

Alec was abruptly cut off by the sound of a massive energy discharge. "Ruckus! Summers is loose! He got George and--" Another discharge ended 'Lith's warning.

Eyes wide, Alec looked through the hole-pocked wall of Erin's living room. Beyond the wall, he saw Scott in his battle stance, with a red blast radiating from his eyes. Scott heard something, and swiveled to face the new sound. To Alec's horror, the blast rotated with him.

"Look out!" Alec dove to the ground, dragging Erin with him. Just as they hit the ground, a red beam strafed across the living room, sending debris flying. The strafing was accompanied by a loud explosion, which caused even more debris to fall from the damaged walls. As soon as the dust cleared, Alec jumped to his feat and rushed to the door. However, he was forced back as water shot through every opening in the wall.

"Ah crap!" Exclaimed Alec as he shielded his face from the water. "He must have taken out the fire hydrant!" Squinting, Alec tried to look past the gushing water. "George! What's going on?!" No reply. "'Lith? Anthro? Anyone!?" There was no response save for the continued sound of rushing water.

Turning up the collar of his trenchcoat, Alec jumped through the spray, into the street. He quickly wiped the water from his eyes and surveyed the scene. Basilisk was sprawled out in the middle of the street, while George was lying in a heap on the sidewalk. Alec looked down the street just in time to see 'Lith running around the corner, obviously in pursuit of someone.

It only took Alec a moment to figure out who. "Oh great..."

--------------------

The Xavier Institute, back in Salem Center...

As he often was, Charles Xavier was in his study, reading. Abruptly, his phone rang. Casually, he answered it. "Yes..."

On the other end of the line was near hysterical Rogue. "Professah! Professah, they got Scott!"

"What?" Xavier's voice was suddenly quiet, drained of all emotion save stunned disbelief.

"They ambushed us," continued Rogue, not calming down. "They knew who we were, Professah! They knew who we were and what we were doin'! They set us up, Professah. They set us up, they attacked us, and they took Scott!" Rogue's voice gave way to haggard coughing, as her hysteria began to affect her breathing.

As Rogue spoke, Xavier sent a telepathic message to Cerebro, activating the emergency klaxon. In the back of his mind, Xavier could sense the other members of the Institute drop what they were doing and rush to the War Room.

Meanwhile, Xavier still had to determine what was actually going on. "Rogue, listen to me. You must calm down." Xavier paused briefly as Rogue's coughing subsided. "Now what happened? Who has Scott?"

"Erin does," answered Rogue, her voice still cracking. "Erin, an' Alec, an' George, an' the wolf, all of 'em! They're all mutants, Professah! And they know about us!"

At that point, Storm and Wolverine burst into the study. "Professor!" Cried Storm. "What is the cause for alarm?"

'Trouble in Newark,' Xavier replied telepathically, not wanting to further upset Rogue. 'Rogue and Cyclops have been attacked. Assemble the team in the Blackbird. Take off as soon as possible and rendezvous with Rogue in Newark. I will give you the coordinates and a further briefing once you're in the air.'

"I am on it," replied Storm as she dashed off.

Wolverine, however, was not so quick to leave. "Chuck, why ain't we meeting with Cyke? Wasn't he the one in charge of this little mission?" 

Xavier remained silent, failing to meet Wolverine's eyes. 

"I hate it when people do that..." Muttered Wolverine as he walked off. "It always means the worst..."

"Professah? Professah! What's goin' on?"

"I am still here, Rogue," replied Xavier, soothingly. "Please stay calm and try not to shout. Now, where are you now?"

"Ah'm in Scott's car. Ah'm at some park... Ah don't know which one..."

"I'll have Cerebro track your signal," Xavier interjected, curtly.

Rogue's breathing was finally slowing to a normal pace. "So, what are we gunna do?"

"Stay where you are, for now. I'm sending the team down to Newark to rendezvous with you. Meanwhile, I'll use Cerebro to track down Scott." Xavier paused. It didn't take telepathic abilities to tell that Rogue needed some reassurance. "Rogue, I'm sending the **entire** team. Don't worry, we **will** get Scott back."

"Alright..." Rogue didn't sound fully confident, but she was better than she was a minute ago.

"The team is on its way. Xavier out." With that, Xavier cut off the connection and wheeled over to the Cerebro console. After a few taps of the keyboard, Cerebro located Rouge's cell phone signal, and relayed that information to the Blackbird.

Reflexively, Xavier picked up the Cerebro-helmet, and began putting it on. However, he stopped short as he noticed something alarming. Cerebro picked up Rogue's cell phone, yet it showed no trace of Rogue herself. A disturbed look formed on Xavier's face as he realized the implications of this. Hurriedly, he slipped on the helmet and began manipulating the controls.

As the moments ticked by, Xavier uncovered even more disturbing information. According to Rogue, there had been a fight. Mutant powers were used. Yet Cerebro had recorded no mutant activity whatsoever. Indeed, the only thing Cerebro had ever recorded in the Newark vicinity was Erin's initial 'blip' that was the reason for Rogue's whole mission.

Suddenly, Scott's words sprang back to Xavier's mind. 

"_From the looks of things, I'd say Erin has known about, and been using her powers for a long time now..._" 

Initially, Xavier had dismissed this observation, citing that Cerebro would have picked up earlier mutant activity. But if Cerebro wasn't registering any mutant activity in Newark, then Erin **could** have been using her powers.

"How could this have happened?" Muttered Xavier. "How could Cerebro miss this kind of mutant activity? Its as if the entire city has been shielded from Cerebro's probes..." At this thought, Xavier's heart skipped a beat. "Oh no..." Xavier instantly redoubled his attempts to locate Cyclops.

--------------------

Inside what's left of the Valchek house, Newark...

Erin, Bas, and George were recuperating in Erin's kitchen, which had taken relatively little damage. The mood in the room was very somber, as none of the trio spoke. Instead, they sat around, not looking up, save for an occasional nervous glance to the den.

In the den, Alec was attempting to jury rig Erin's computer. While it had not taken any direct damage, the various shock waves and debris from the fight had somehow managed to mess up some of the connections.

Making some final adjustments, Alec took a seat and turned on the console. A series of electronic chimes indicated the computer had started its start up sequence. As he waited for the system to boot up, Alec grabbed a nearby ice pack and put it on his arm. Alec winced at the stinging sensation caused by the contact.

Once the start up was complete, Alec put on the nearby headset and typed in the usual commands. A view of Nathan's lab soon appeared on the screen. Nathan was seated at his desk, staring intently at a series of monitors.

Alec cleared his throat before speaking. When he did speak, it was in a very meek voice. "Uh, Nate..."

"Ah, Ruckus," said Nathan, still keeping his eyes on the screen. "Report."

Alec braced himself for the worst. "Things didn't go well. Summers didn't join. We tried to take 'im down, but... He pounded us. We hurt 'im bad, but he still got away."

Nathan gave the webcam a fleeting glance. "Indeed."

Alec waited, expecting more. However, Nathan remained silent, studying the screens in front of him. "Uh, Nate... You're not mad or anything?"

"Not particularly," answered Nathan. "I expected as much. The mission had a very small chance of success."

Alec gaped at the screen. "But how you have expected that? We outnumbered 'em! We out-powered 'em! They were in our home! We caught 'em completely off guard! And you expected us to loose... Are we that pathetic?"

As Alec asked this last question, Nathan's harsh expression softened. Sighing, he looked deeply into the webcam. "Ruckus, this is not your fault. Scott Summers is a very formidable mutant. There is no shame in loosing to him."

"But, Nate, I was supposed to replace 'im. I'm supposed to be the next best thing!" Alec's voice lost its edge, sounding more defeated with every word. "How am I supposed to be your standard bearer if I can't even beat one man, with the entire team at my back?"

"Ruckus." Nathan's voice was firm, forcing Alec to make eye contact with the screen. "Listen to me. You are young. Far younger than Summers. Your powers are not nearly as developed as his. You have spent the last several years training for battle. He has seen battle. Even at this age, he a veteran."

"But still... He's just one man..."

"Yes," agreed Nathan. "But he was one man backed into a corner. Desperation breeds strength, Ruckus. That is something you will learn in time." In the lab, a computer began beeping, demanding attention. Nathan looked at one of the monitors and scowled. He turned back to the webcam, his voice suddenly serious. "What is the condition of the team? Were there casualties of any sort?"

Nervously, Alec glanced down at his arm and flexed it a few times. It still stung, but he could work through it. "Nothing permanent, I think. Most of 'em here are fine. 'Cept Bas. He seems... Weaker, somehow..."

Nathan rubbed his temples in frustration. "The rogue... I should have warned you about her. Basilisk should be back to normal soon. But everyone else is unharmed?"

"Yeah. Uuuhh!" Ruckus slapped his forehead. "But I don't know about Anthro and 'Lith. They're out chasing Summers..."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Chasing Summers?"

"When he ran off, they followed 'im. I haven't contacted 'em yet... Getting to you was first priority. But given what you said, I doubt they'll have any luck catching 'im..."

"Quite likely. I shall call them back. They'll be needed."

"Needed? For what?"

"I've been monitoring the X-Mansion up in Salem Center. An aircraft has just left the center. A preliminary assessment of its course indicates that it is headed this way."

Alec let out a quiet gasp. "Ah, crap... They're comin' for payback..." Alec looked at the screen with a frantic look on his face. "What're we gunna do, Nate?"

Nathan looked calmly at the webcam. "Simple, Ruckus. You will fight them."

"But-- But Nate, we just got our asses handed to us by one of 'em! For all we know, the whole bloody team could be on that jet!" By this point, Alec's voice had gone from stunned to nearly outraged. "Do you honestly think we have a chance against all that!?"

"Yes, Ruckus! I do!" Alec was slightly taken aback by the fierceness of Nathan's voice. "Listen to me. Summers defeated you because he was cornered, and had nothing to loose. The rest of the X-Men are not in that situation. If the fight becomes too vicious, Xavier will pull them out. He will not let any of his students become seriously hurt." Nathan paused, his face darkening. "And neither will I."

"But..."

"Enough. Take the team to the Hyde construction complex to the north of you. You will make your stand there."

Alec looked into the webcam, his brow furrowed. "Nate, it won't end with one fight. Even if they retreat this time, they'll be back..."

"Do not concern yourself with such matters, Ruckus. You need only worry about the fight. I shall handle the rest."

"Alright... If you say so." Reluctantly, Alec broke the connection. Sighing, he got up and walked to the kitchen. The others looked at him anxiously.

"Okay people," he said in his most authoritative voice. "Let's suit up."

--------------------

A dark alley in Newark...

As night began to fall, Scott flattened himself against the wall. Covered in shadows, he tried to quiet his breathing. Anthro would soon find him, regardless of where he stood, or how loud he breathed. However, if he was quiet enough, Scott might be able to get in the first shot and even the odds a little.

A little, but only a little. However, Scott no longer cared about the odds. Scott no longer cared about anything. Pain had ravaged his mind, driving out all rational thought. He was acting purely on instinct now. The only thing that mattered now was hurting his pursuers. No matter the cost...

Abruptly, Scott heard the distinctive sound of footsteps approaching the alley. A scowl on his face, he caught his breath, and waited.

"You smell him?" Asked a deep voice.

Echoes of Anthro sniffing the air floated down the alley. "Yeah..." The sniffing continued. The silhouette of a head appeared in the alley entrance. "Yeah, he's right in here..."

Anthro's silhouette was swallowed up by the massive outline of 'Lith. With Anthro leading, the duo slowly began walking down the alley. "Alright, Summers... You ready to give up yet? Or are you thirsting for another beating..." From his tone, it was obvious that 'Lith was hoping for the latter.

Scott was more than ready to oblige him. Without warning, the alley was lit up by Scott's blast. 'Lith was knocked off his feat, and sent flying backwards. The blast quickly cut off, leaving the alley in darkness once again. However, that didn't stop Anthro. Honing in on where he'd last seen Scott, he charged.

Realizing Anthro was moving in fast, Scott readjusted his aim and prepared to fire again. However, by this time, Anthro had reached Scott and roughly batted Scott's arm away from his visor. With guttural snarl, Scott countered with a knee to Anthro's midsection. Anthro was driven back a step, putting him in perfect range for a roundhouse back kick.

"Not so fast!" Snarled Anthro. Acting with inhuman speed, he turned and caught Scott's leg in mid-kick. Just as he caught it, he adjusted his grip and gave the leg a sharp twist. The hold sent more pain though Scott's body, further unhinging him.

Grunting in pain, Scott flailed at Anthro with his good arm. However, Anthro was out of reach. Scott cried out in pain as Anthro gave Scott's leg another twist. Scott briefly considered trying to hit Anthro with an optic blast. But even in his current state, Scott knew that Anthro would see that one coming and avoid it.

Gritting his teeth, Scott realized there was only one way to break the hold. Scott jumped, and kicked out with his other foot. His heel connected with the back of Anthro's head, sending him sprawling. With no vertical base left, Scott fell to the ground, landing heavily on his already injured arm.

With pain shooting through him, Scott lay still on the ground. His breathing slowed, and he hovered at the brink of unconsciousness. Across the alley, Anthro's condition was not much better.

At this point, 'Lith had recovered, and was just reentering the alley. He was cautious this time, wary of the shadows. So dark was the alley that 'Lith didn't notice the limp form of Anthro until he was nearly upon him. With a look of concern, 'Lith knelt beside his friend. "Anthro? Hey pal, you okay?"

Anthro shifted a little in response, but nothing more. 

"Aw man... That kid really worked you over..." Further comments were cut off by a metallic chime. 'Lith brought his wrist close to his face and tapped some buttons on his watch. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Ah, 'Lith," replied Nathan through the communicator. "Is Anthro with you?"

"Yeah, he is, Nate. But--"

"I understand the two of you have been chasing Summers," Nathan bluntly stated. "Have you been successful in catching him?"

Anxiously, 'Lith glanced around the alley. He saw nothing but shadows. "No. Look, Nate, Anthro is hurt. Summers trashed him then ran off..."

"Hmmm," said Nathan, almost to himself. "Pity. But not unexpected..." In a louder voice, he continued. "'Lith, a new situation has arisen. You and Anthro are to meet with the rest of the team at the Hyde construction complex. Ruckus will give you further instructions when you arrive."

"Nate, you don't understand. Anthro's hurt real bad..."

"Do not worry," soothed Nathan. "Anthro's healing factor shall kick in shortly. He should be more than ready by the time you get to the complex. Are there any other concerns."

"Uh yeah..." 'Lith considered his word carefully, trying to figure out how not to sound stupid. "I sorta lost track of where we are. How exactly do I get to Hyde?"

Nathan sighed audibly. "Hold on a second. Let me get a fix on your location." There was a short pause. "Okay, head west. Two blocks, then take a right. It should be three blocks after that."

"Alright," grunted 'Lith as he hoisted Anthro over his shoulder. "We'll be there soon." 'Lith cut the connection and walked away.

A moment of silence passed.

Slowly, Scott struggled to his feat and out of the shadows. Inside him, a war was being waged. On one side, his self-preservation instincts were telling him to lurch his way to the nearest hospital. On the other side, the animal inside him hungered for vengeance. At any cost.

Between these two urges, the option of simply falling down and giving up never crossed his logic-deprived mind.

By the time Scott reached the entrance to the alley, the war had been won. With a determined scowl, he turned west and staggered down the street...

--------------------


	6. Calvalry

Nasty Boyz

--------------------

Inside the Blackbird, en route to Newark...

Wolverine sat in the copilot seat, a scowl etched upon his face. Across from him, Nightcrawler piloted the jet. Throughout the short trip, Nightcrawler had been uncharacteristically silent, only speaking when necessary. "Ah, ve're almost there, Logan."

"Good," replied Wolverine in his usual gruff tone. He sniffed the air, audibly. "Any word from Chuck, 'Ro?"

"No," said Storm as she entered the cockpit area. "We have not heard one word from him since we left the mansion."

Wolverine growled. "I don't like this..."

"Nor I. Xavier said he'd contact us once we were airborne. This seems quite unlike him..."

"What've you told the kids?"

Storm sighed. "Nothing, yet. I've no solid information to give them, and the information we do have--"

"Would only scare them," finished Wolverine. "Still, we ought to tell them something before--"

"Not to interrupt," Nightcrawler timidly cut it, "but ve've reached ze coordinates. And I think I've spotted Rogue."

Wolverine looked out the windshield. On the ground below them, a dark figure stood next to familiar red convertible. "That's her all right..."

"I shall prepare the others." With that, Storm walked back to the main portion of the plane.

Concentrating on flying, Nightcrawler didn't notice her leave. "Vhere do you think I should park, Herr Logan?"

Wolverine took a long look around. "Circle round and land in that green strip in front of those trees." With a nod, Nightcrawler complied. "And do it gently," added Wolverine.

A moment later, a dull thud ran through the Blackbird. Slightly shaken, Wolverine got out of his seat. "Close enough. Now open the hatch and let's get out of here."

A moment later, Wolverine and Storm strode purposefully out of the Blackbird, followed closely by Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Spyke, and Jean. Still not sure what was going on, the younger X-Men were full of apprehension. Rogue, now in full battle costume, struggled to stay calm as she watched them approach.

"Okay, Rogue," began Wolverine in his usual blunt fashion. "What's the story down here? Where's Cyke?"

Rogue looked nervously at the older X-Man. "Ya mean the Professah hasn't told ya?"

"I'm afraid not," answered Storm. "We haven't heard anything from Xavier since we left the mansion."

"Yeah," added Jean. "Last we heard, you and Scott were spending the night in Newark. We were expecting the two of you back tonight. What happened?"

"Ya haven't heard anything?" Rogue took a deep breath while she considered her words. And fought off another panic attack. When she spoke again, it was in a hushed tone. "Scott and Ah were sent to Newark to recruit Erin Valchek. She was supposed ta be some young kid who was just discovering her powers..."

Rogue took another moment to compose herself. "She wasn't. Erin knew about her powers. Her friends knew about her powers..." Rogue shook her head, a hint of desperation seeping into her voice. "And her friends have powers. This whole thing was a set up. They lured us here, then ambushed us. And they captured Scott..."

"Oh God..." A stunned gasp escaped Jean. The other students remained silent, their eyes wide in shock.

"How'd they get 'em? And how'd you get away?" Wolverine tried to keep his question from sounding accusatory, and wasn't entirely successful.

"Ah don't know," replied Rogue replied, shakily. "Ah got caught by surprise. One moment Scott was talking ta Alec, the next we were walkin' out the door, and then the mutants jumped us. The next time Ah saw Scott, he was surrounded..." Rogue's voice faltered. "He... He told me ta run. Ah did..."

Wolverine shook his head, slowly. "So Scotty decided to take the fall... Why does that not surprise me..."

"If he had not yet been captured when you left," Storm prompted, "then isn't it possible that he did, in fact, escape?"

Rogue shook her head dejectedly. "Ah don't think so. He looked hurt. And..." Rogue trailed off, unable to find the words.

A silence fell over the team.

"Okay," Wolverine's gruff voice broke the silence. "This just turned into a rescue mission. I'll take point, and try to track down Scott. Storm, you stay with the kids. Be prepared to--"

"Wolverine." Storm gave Logan the cut-off signal. "May I have a word with you?"

Wolverine snorted, catching her intention. "Alright." Wolverine and Storm walked a discrete distance away from the rest of the team, who looked on apprehensibly. "Okay, 'Ro," whispered Wolverine. "What is it?"

"You were planning on tracking Scott yourself, weren't you Logan? And using the rest of the team as back-up once you found him?"

"Yeah," responded Wolverine. "What of it? That's the best way to get Cyke back."

Storm gave Wolverine a harsh look. "No, it isn't Logan. Think for a second! This is not the time run off and do things solo. If they ambushed Scott they could very well ambush you. Even with your senses, you're still vulnerable, Wolverine."

"Well, what do want me to do? Stay with the kids?"

"Yes."

Wolverine exhaled loudly. "Look, Storm, you know what I'm like in fight. I'm not the kind of guy you want to be baby-sitting a bunch of rookies!"

Storm glared harshly at Wolverine. "Yes, Logan, they are rookies! They are in an unfamiliar situation and they are scared. The last thing they need is a baby-sitter. What they do need is someone to look up to. They need to see someone who knows how to handle the situation. Someone who's mere **presence **will reassure them. Someone like you..."

Wolverine scowled, understanding Storm's reasoning, but not liking it. "Okay, fine. So how do you want to go about finding Scott?"

"We will track him as a team. You will take point, and track him on the ground. Keep the other students close by you. I shall take to the air. From there I will search for Scott as well as keep an eye on the team."

"Won't that put you at risk of being ambushed?"

Storm smirked. "Have you ever tried to ambush someone who's flying?"

"Once or twice," replied Wolverine, nonchalantly. "So, is that it?"

"I believe that covers everything." With that, Storm activated her powers and took to the air.

Wolverine grunted and walked back to the rest team. "Okay, people, listen up. We've had a change of plans. Storm will be covering air reconnaissance. Rogue, you know what we're up against, so you're up with me. Elf, Pryde, Jean, you're behind us. Spyke, bring up the rear."

"Will do," Spyke replied with a slight salute.

"Good. Now lets move, people!" With that, Wolverine began walking away from the Blackbird.

"Ah, minor detail..." Wolverine turned back and glared at Kitty. "Wouldn't it be quicker to, like, take the car?" Kitty pointed to Scott's convertible with a questioning look on her face. 

Wolverine shook his head. "Nope. Easiest way to hurt a lot of people at once is to get them when they're in their transport. It's a lot safer to go in on foot." Wolverine turned and continued walking. "Now hurry it up! We've got a teammate to find."

--------------------

Erin's house...

From the sky, Storm took a good look at the street below. The most prominent feature of the streetscape was a geyser coming out of what used to be a fire hydrant. Water from the hydrant covered the entire street. Dents and pock marks also covered the street as well as most of the nearby buildings. One building had taken particularly heavy damage, as its entire facade had been blown off. As the rest of the X-Men halted near the scene, Storm landed gracefully next to them. "I presume this is where the fight occurred..."

In spite the gravity of the situation, Spyke couldn't help but marvel at damage inflicted on the area. "Wow. Some fight... Scott certainly didn't go down easily..."

"Assuming he 'went down' at all," added Storm. With a tinge of hope in her voice, she turned to Wolverine. "Logan, search the area. See if you can locate either Scott, or his attackers."

"'Ro, I can tell ya right now that there's nobody here. There aren't any fresh scents in the air. Scott and company have been gone for a while..."

"Alright," said Storm, the hope fading as quickly as it had come. "Can you track where they went from here.

Wolverine exhaled loudly. "I can try. That's assuming they left on foot. And assuming this blasted water hasn't washed away every scent on the street..."

"Do it. We shall have to hope for the best." With a slight nod, Wolverine walked off. Turning to Rogue, Storm continued. "Rogue, do you know anything about these people that might help us determine where they went."

Rogue shook her head. "No. As Ah was tellin' Logan, I managed to grab some powers from one of the mutants during the fight, but all Ah grabbed were powers. No memories. And even the powers have pretty much faded..." Rogue trailed off, staring at the scenery with a worried look on her face.

"What I want to know," said Spyke, "is how all these mutants got missed by Cerebro."

Storm was saved having to answer that question when Kitty spoke up. "Dead spot, probably."

"What'da'ya mean 'dead spot,'" demanded Spyke.

"Exactly what is sounded like," retorted Shadowcat. "A dead spot. A place where Cerebro's sensors can't reach. Maybe some mountains, like, blocked its signals or something."

"Mountains? Between New York and New Jersey?"

"Well it doesn't have to be mountains it could be some type of localized EM interference..."

As the conversation degenerated into technobabble, Storm breathed a sigh of relief. Still, the question of how Xavier didn't notice the other mutants remained unanswered. And that worried Storm. However, she had little time to think about the matter before Wolverine walked back to the group.

"Good news and bad news," began Wolverine as all eyes turned to him. "Good news, I found the mutants' scents. They're headed north, on foot. Bad news, I couldn't find Scott's, with theirs, or separately. That means that his either his scent got completely washed away, or Scott's been airlifted out of here." Wolverine's eyes narrowed. "Either way, I'd say our best bet is to track the other mutants. Even if they don't have Scott, they've got some answering to do."

Storm nodded. "Agreed. Whenever you're ready, Logan."

Wolverine snorted. "Lets go, people..."

--------------------

Near the Hyde construction complex...

"Ya smell anything?" Asked Rogue, almost timidly.

Wolverine continued sniffing the air. "Yeah, I smell 'em. A bunch of 'em. And they're close." Almost dejectedly, he shook his head. "But still no sign of Scott."

"Logan, how close are they?" Asked Storm. In the dim light, Storm had decided that flying would be too risky. "Can you pinpoint their location?"

"I think so..." Wolverine sniffed the air a few more times. "This way..."

Cautiously, Wolverine began walking down the street, sniffing the whole way. The rest of the team followed, being equally cautious and silent. After a moment, the scent led Wolverine to a grass and dirt covered field.

Wolverine came to an abrupt stop. "Hold up people." His eyes narrowed as he scanned the scene in front of him. It was a construction site. To the front, and on both sides of him were piles of lumber, randomly placed columns, and half finished walls. And the scents he had been following were now all around him. "This place reeks of a set-up..."

A calm voice pierced the silence. "How right you are..." All eyes immediately went to Alec, who was perched nonchalantly on one of the half-built walls. He was dressed as he was before, but his threadbare trenchcoat had been replaced with a very decorative one with bright yellow trim. The coat, and Alec's entire demeanor, had an air of arrogance to it. "I guess there's a reason they call it an Institute for the **Gifted**." Alec chuckled mockingly.

Angrily, Rogue stepped forward. "Alec, ya've got five seconds ta tell us where Scott is!"

Wolverine glanced around anxiously. "Watch it, kid. He's not the only one around here..."

"Can the act, Rogue!" With a sneer on his face, Alec jumped down onto the ground. "The name is Ruckus! And I'm not playing games any more."

"Neithah are we," growled Rogue. "Now where's Scott?!"

Ruckus abruptly smirked. "What would you say if I told you I didn't know?"

"I'd say ya're a liar!"

Spyke, who seemed to be spoiling for a fight, stepped up beside Rogue. "Actually..." Several spikes grew out of his arm. "I'd say that you're about to feel some pain." More spikes and some armor plates sprouted. "Lots of it!"

Ruckus' face darkened. "Feel some pain? Maybe. But you, my friends, are going to feel..." As he said this, Ruckus' voice dropped an octave. "The..." His voice picked up an unnatural base. "NOOOOOOOIIIIIIISSSSSSSEEEEEEE!!!!!"

A shock wave ripped through the air, knocking the X-Men off their feet. Spyke was the first to get up. He glared evilly at Ruckus. "That's it, man! You're going down!" To emphasize his point, Spyke launched a fistful of projectile bones at Ruckus.

Expecting the move, Ruckus dove to the side and crouched down into a battle stance. "Bring it on..." Infuriated, Spyke charged.

Storm was just getting up as her nephew ran off. As she saw this, her eyes widened with concern. "Evan, wait! It could be a--"

"Trap?" Finished Ruckus, still unconcerned. "You bet it is!"

As Ruckus spoke, movement caught Spyke's eye. He was forced to stop short as two figures, a white anthromorph and a bestial looking black kid, leapt over the wall and landed next to Ruckus. As Spyke skidded to a stop, a column of goo shot over the wall. As the goo neared the ground, it condensed into the form of a purple kid wearing an oversized trenchcoat. The kid smirked at Spyke. "So, like the entrance?"

Nightcrawler, the last X-Man to get up, gaped at what he saw. "Va-- Who are they?"

Now safe from attack, Ruckus stood up straight. "X-Men, allow me to introduce you to my team. The Nasty Boyz!"

Jean felt her powers flare as she stared down the quartet. "You know, if we didn't outnumber you seven-to-four, that might actually scare me..."

"Newsflash, Redd..." Jean whirled around to face a new speaker standing to the side of the other kids. The speaker was female, and wearing a flashy green shirt and skirt. "There aren't just four of us."

Jean lowered herself into a battle stance. "Erin Valcheck, I assume?"

Erin grinned wickedly as she assumed a similar stance. "Vertigo. Try and remember it..."

Shadowcat nervously glanced back and forth between Vertigo and the other Boyz. "Okay, seven-on-five. We can handle that, right?"

Wolverine growled as he sniffed the air. "Seven-on-six..." On cue, a towering white kid in a brown vest stepped out of the shadows. Wolverine growled louder, and popped his claws. 'Lith grinned and cracked his knuckles in response.

Ruckus spoke up. "Okay X-Men, I'm only going to offer this once. If you don't want to do this fight, you don't have to. Just walk away now, and nobody will get hurt." Ruckus paused as he looked over his adversaries. "So what'll it be?"

Ruckus' gaze fell on Storm, who was in the middle of the X-Men, standing tall. As she stared back at Ruckus, all color faded from her eyes. "X-Men, attack!"

With a multitude of yells, the battle was joined...

--------------------


	7. Rumble

Nasty Boyz

--------------------

The X-Mansion...

"Cyclops..." Deep in concentration, Xavier sat at his Cerebro console. "Where are you, Cyclops..." Try as he might, Xavier was unable to locate any sign of Cyclops' presence. All that Xavier could sense in or around Newark was static, the droll hum of everyday human activity.

Sighing in frustration, Xavier once again adjusted the Cerebro controls. Cerebro beeped in response as it began filtering away the static. Hoping that this filtering would be more effective than the last attempt, Xavier leaned back and began an even deeper mental probe.

Stretching his mind to limit, Xavier searched the city for a mutant signature. After a moment, he found one. 'No,' thought Xavier, 'several. But I can't seem to get a clear identity for any of them...' Suddenly, the static level peaked, overloading the filters. Xavier gave a cry of pain and threw off the helmet. For several moments Xavier sat limply in his chair, trying to recover from the assault on his senses. At the same time, he tried to figure out why his senses had been assaulted. 

"Its... Its impossible..." He finally concluded. "The static level shouldn't change that suddenly, nor that drastically. Unless..." Abruptly, everything fell into place. "Of course... That's how they're blocking Cerebro. They're taking static, and amplifying it so that it completely covers up any mutant activity. And the more obvious the activity..." Xavier rubbed his temples. "...The louder the static must be to cover it up. Now the question becomes how to get around this..."

Xavier paused for a long moment. "No. The question is if I can get around this... Before I loose Scott..."

With a heavy heart, Xavier placed the Cerebro helmet back on his head...

--------------------

The Hyde construction complex...

At Storm's order, Shadowcat let herself get caught in the battle's fervor. Along with Spyke, Rogue, and Nightcrawler, she charged the quartet in front of them. As he ran, Spyke yelled out some instructions, but Shadowcat didn't really listen to them. She already knew what had to be done.

Their charge was met head on. Spyke was the first one hit, barreled over by a purple column of goo. However, Shadowcat had no time to worry about his safety, as Anthro leapt at her the next instant. With her adrenaline already pumping, Shadowcat saw the attack coming and phased intangible before Anthro could reach her.

Anthro passed through her, and landed hard. As he scrambled to his feet, he looked at Shadowcat with a shocked expression on his face. "What the?! You some kinda ghost?"

"No, I'm a cat," replied Kitty, in a strangely calm voice. "A Shadowcat. And this is my boot!" As she said this, Shadowcat delivered a swift roundhouse kick. Still stunned from Kitty's initial evasion, he didn't react in time, and took the blow to the face.

As he fell to the ground for a second time, Anthro let out a bestial snarl. "I'll get you for that, girl!"

Even in the heat of battle, Shadowcat still had time for sarcasm. "Yeah, I'm so sure..."

Snarling again, Anthro got back to his feet. With his fist raised, Anthro charged. At the last moment, Kitty phased intangible, letting Anthro's fist go right through her. Hoping to catch him unawares, Kitty went tangible again and spun to deliver a back elbow. But as soon as she felt something grab her arm, she knew she had made a mistake.

Anthro never expected his frontal attack to connect, and thus had never thrown his weight into the punch. In doing so, he had kept his balance, and was more than ready for Shadowcat's counterattack. Using his superior reflexes, he blocked Shadowcat's elbow, and in turn delivered a flat-fisted punch to he shoulderblade.

The blow knocked Shadowcat to the ground. Expected her attacker to follow up his attack, she rolled to her feet as quickly as possible. Breathing heavily, she fell into a battle stance. 

"Neat trick, girl," spat out Anthro, mockingly. "But its just a trick. And it'll take a lot more than that to keep me down!" With that, Anthro leapt at Shadowcat. She went intangible, letting Anthro dive though her. Anthro kept his footing, and instantly spun around and aimed a chop at Kitty's chest. Again, the blow went right through her. 

Knowing she had to be solid to mount any offense, Kitty backpedaled and phased tangible as soon as she was out of Anthro's reach. Immediately, she leapt at her opponent, delivering a forearm to his head. Yet even as he was falling away, Anthro's flailing foot managed to connect with Kitty's gut, knocking her to the ground as well.

Anthro regained his footing and scrambled towards Shadowcat. Kitty saw him coming while she was still crouched down, and phased momentarily intangible. Anthro passed through her, Shadowcat immediately went tangible, hoping to be able to hit him before he could counterattack. However, Anthro's reflexes were far superior to hers, and as soon as he landed, he jumped backwards, landing another blow to Kitty's shoulderblades.

As Kitty rolled to her feet, a wicked smile crept across Anthro's face. "Well, little girl. I've got your measure, now. Struggle all you want..." Anthro blocked Kitty's sweep-kick, delivering a swift chop to he thigh in the process. "...Its only a matter of time before you go down!"

--------------------

With an icy stare, Jean Grey stood in front of her opponent. "So Erin, what's the deal here? Do you people go around kidnapping others for a reason, or do you just like to start trouble?"

"I didn't start anything," replied Vertigo. "Nor did any of my friends! We were just living here, on our own when you and your little 'Institute' decided to butt in. You messed with us, so we messed with you. And if you ask me, Scotty got just what he deserved..."

Jean felt her face harden into a scowl. "And just what, prey-tell, did Scott 'get?'"

"This!" With her fists clenched, Vertigo thrust her arms out towards Jean. As she did, a pale glow formed around them. The glow intensified and shot out towards Jean. Jean was struck by the glow, and seemed to stagger back a step. Hoping to end the fight quickly, Vertigo pumped more energy into the blast. The glow instantly expanded and seemed to envelope Jean.

After a few heartbeats, Erin felt her power begin to flag. Confident that Jean had been overwhelmed, Erin powered down and tried to catch her breath. But as the energy faded away, Vertigo learned she was wrong.

Standing in the middle of a psionic bubble, Jean glared back at Vertigo. "What? Don't tell me that's it..."

"Wha--What the--" Stunned, Vertigo took a step back.

Jean snorted in disgust. "Huh. I guess it was." Inside her bubble, Jean raised her arm. In response, an assortment of rocks and rubble floated off the ground and began hovering at eye level. "Good bye, Erin..."

"Nooooooooooo!!!" Vertigo's aura flared up again. She once again shot her arms forward, sending a cascade of energy towards Jean.

As the psionic attack washed over her, Jean was forced to drop the debris in order to maintain her shield. The attack intensified, and Jean was nearly blinded by the glow. Nonetheless, her shield held firm, and the attack began to quickly die away.

Yet even as the glow around her faded, Jean saw Vertigo try to prepare for another assault. Jean watched Vertigo's aura flare up again, and an idea formed in Jean's head. As the third blast shot towards her, Jean mentally reconfigured her psionic shield. 

When the blast struck, Jean was no longer standing inside a bubble. Instead, she was standing behind a concave saucer. Erin's blast struck the center of the saucer, and began splattering away. The energy washed along the surface of the saucer, eventually being redirected back towards Vertigo herself.

Caught in the midst of her own assault, Vertigo stumbled. As quickly as she could refocus her concentration, she cut off her blast. Almost on the verge of panicking, Vertigo began backing away from Jean.

For her part, Jean wore a smile of confidence and began advancing of her opponent. "Now, Erin... It ends..."

And then Jean's world went black.

-------------------

With Spyke by her side, Rogue charged the quartet of boyz. 

As they ran, Spyke yelled out instructions. "'Crawler! 'Port ahead and take out the banshee. I don't wanna run into any sonic booms..."

A puff of smoke and a 'bamf' told Spyke that Nightcrawler had obeyed.

"Rogue, you got a preference?"

"The black one's mime!" Rogue growled. "We've got a score ta settle!"

"Take him! That leaves the wolf and goo-boy for Kitty and--"

Rogue put on a burst of speed and didn't hear the end of Spyke's comments. Howling, she leapt at the oncoming Bas. Rogue's forearm connected with Bas' head, knocking him backwards.

But to Rogue's dismay, the black kid instantly shrugged off the blow. "Still got attitude," the kid spat out, "but no more strength to back it up. And don't think you'll be gettin' any more. I'm on to that little trick..."

Rogue settled into a battle crouch. "Stop yappin' and start fighting ya--"

A side-arm swipe from Bas knocked the taste out of Rogue's mouth. A direct jab to her stomach knocked her back a step. A third blow to shoulder staggered her. And an uppercut to the jaw knocked her off her feet. Rogue fell back, landing hard on her back. She let out a groan and her eyes flickered shut. 

Standing over her, Bas crossed his arms and smirked. "Piece of cake..." With a chuckle, he turned and started walking away. After five steps, a jarring blow to the back of his knee sent him crashing to the ground.

"Well then, here's a new trick for ya," taunted Rogue, from behind. "Its called playin' possum!"

Growling, Bas spun to a crouch and faced Rogue. As soon as he did, Rogue's boot connected with his face, sending him sprawling again. The fury and speed of Rogue's attacks caused Bas to backpedal halfway across the battlefield before he gathered himself enough to actually make a stand.

"It didn't work, little girl," growled Bas as he blocked one of Rogue's kicks. "That trick may have bought you some time, but it can't keep me down..."

Rogue grinned viscously. "Maybe trick two didn't, but trick one will..." Rogue backed off a little, and took one of her gloves off. With her ungloved hand she gestured towards Bas. "C'mon, Swamprat..."

Now not quite so eager to attack Rogue, Bas glanced around the battlefield, considering his options. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a very promising option, and a grin filled his face. "Funny you should mention 'tricks...' 'Cause here's one of mine!" With a sudden burst of speed, Basilisk leapt.

Backwards. Bas' momentum carried him though a few stuttersteps, then he planted his foot and drove his leg straight back. His heel struck squarely into the jaw of an unsuspecting Jean Grey. Jean was knocked unconscious before she could even cry out.

Rogue could only stare as she watched her friend fall lifelessly to the ground.

Bas grinned, maliciously. "Vertigo, take her down."

Vertigo, who was crouched in a battle stance nearby, blinked in surprise Bas' sudden appearance. Confused, she looked up at Bas, then followed his gaze towards Rogue. A look of realization came over her face. "You go it, Bas. Time for the little rogue to take a nap..." An aura formed around Vertigo's hands as she pointed them towards Rogue. The aura peaked, and lashed out.

Too late, Rogue came to her senses. Yelling out, she charged towards the smirking Basilisk. However, Vertigo's blast struck her, taking away all sense of orientation. Rogue stumbled, and fell past Bas as he stepped nimbly to the side. Rogue tried to regain her footing, but feeling of vertigo intensified, causing her to stumble once more.

"Okay, Bas," ordered Vertigo in a somewhat strained voice. "I've got her down. Finish her off!"

Rogue growled as she heard this. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. Hoping to keep her attacker at a distance, Rogue lashed out at the movement. To her surprise, Bas actually did back off.

"Bas, quit fooling around! Finish her off before someone else jumps in and helps her!" A bolt of lightning from another part of the battlefield punctuated Vertigo's order.

"I heard ya the first time, Erin," barked back Bas. "But trust me, it's better to be safe than sorry with this one..." Bas' words trailed off as he glared at Rogue, looking for an opening.

"Wha... What's he talkin' about..." Rogue muttered under her breath. While still keeping a wary eye on Bas, Rogue managed to bring herself up to her hands and knees. "Ah mean its not like Ah can..." Rogue trailed off as she temporarily lost her balance. For a moment, she fixed her whole attention on trying to push herself back up. As she stared at the ground below her, it hit her.

"Mah glove... Ah never got it back on..." Rogue heard movement from Bas and whirled to face him. She lost her balance again, this time falling on her back. But it did drive Bas back.

Her eyes still glowing, Vertigo glared at Bas. "Would you hurry it up?! I don't want to be here the entire fight..."

Bas didn't respond. He was engrossed in staring at Rogue, waiting for a chance to strike. Despite her condition, Rogue, was glaring right back, looking for some way to even the fight.

She found it. Fighting through Vertigo's psychic assault, Rogue charged haphazardly towards Bas. The move caught Bas unawares, and he jumped to the side to avoid Rogue's flailing arms. As she passed him, Rogue finally lost her footing, and fell roughly to the ground.

Basilisk regarded her curiously. "The heck was that supposed to... Oh shii--" Bas didn't even finish his words as he dove towards the fallen Rogue. 

As she hit the ground, a pained smirk formed on Rogue's face. "...Don't worry Jean," she muttered. "Ah'm only borrowin' it..." With that, Rogue's shaky hand reached out and made contact with Jean's unconscious face. Instantly, Rogue felt the familiar sensation of powers flowing into her.

Acting on Jean's instinct, Rogue created as psionic bubble around her. The sensation of vertigo quickly fell away, as her shield began deflecting Vertigo's powers. As Rogue struggled to her feet, she sensed Bas diving towards the bubble. A telekenetic ripple along the shield sent him flying.

With the last traces of disorientation fading away, Rogue fell into a battle stance and glared at Vertigo. "Well, Erin, looks like its just you and me now..."

-------------------

With the battle beginning around him, Wolverine glared at the massive figure in front of him. For his part, 'Lith just smiled back.

"So," growled Wolverine. "You one the punks who brought down Cyke?" 

'Lith smirked, not intimidated in the least. "Yup."

"Good. Now I can enjoy this!" 

With claws extended Wolverine charged. 'Lith lowered his stance slightly, keeping his eyes focused on Wolverine's claws. Which was precisely what Wolverine wanted. At the last minute, he retracted his claws, and as 'Lith reacted, delivered a swift kick to 'Lith's face. Wolverine followed up the attack with a few punches, knocking 'Lith off his feet.

In an instant, Wolverine was crouched on top of 'Lith, with his hand poised over 'Lith's head, and two claws straddling his neck. "Now," said Wolverine in a very guttural tone. "Tell me where Cyke is, or the third claw comes out..."

Stunned by the speed at which Wolverine had attacked, 'Lith did not immediately respond. Instead, he glared defiantly at Wolverine, and tried to regain his composure. Slowly, almost reflexively, his two hands reached towards his neck.

This drew a chuckle from Wolverine. "I wouldn't touch those, bub. They're sharp..."

"Really?" Confidence suddenly returned to 'Lith's face as he grabbed the two claws. In contrast, Wolverine couldn't have been more surprised by the action. "So what?" 'Lith's grip tightened, his muscles bulged, and his arms began to pull apart.

Wolverine screamed in pain as the tendons attached to his claws stretched and snapped. The pain only got worse as he yanked his hand away. As he did, his claws slipped through 'Lith's grasp, incredibly, doing next to no damage to his skin. This left 'Lith free to mount his own offensive. Wolverine was still screaming when 'Lith delivered a jab to his face and swatted him aside.

As he hit the ground, Wolverine quickly regained his footing, but not his composure. He stood up and gaped at the two horribly misdirected claws sticking out of his hand. Even though the damage was already being repaired, the mere fact that it had happened disturbed him. And the pain...

'Lith laughed at the look of terror on his opponent's face. "What'd you expect? Some two-bit, under-powered thug? C'mon, Claws. Lets see what you've really got..."

Feeling the berserker rage start to come over him, Wolverine growled loudly at 'Lith. Clenching his damaged fist, Wolverine retracted in his claws, forcefully realigning them. With a bellow of rage, he popped them back out and charged 'Lith.

-------------------

As he sprinted towards his opponent, Spyke cast a sideways glance towards Rogue. "Rogue, you got a preference?

Rogue's eyes never left her target. "The black one's mine! We've got a score ta settle!"

Spyke nodded. "Take him! That leaves the wolf and goo-boy for Kitty and--" Too late, Spyke returned his gaze to his opponent. He had nary a second to react before a column of purple goo knocked him to the ground.

The column backed off and solidified into human form. "Goo-boy? The name is George. Gorgeous George if you insist on using some sort of code name. I've never cared much for those, myself..."

Spyke got up scowling. "Ya don't say... I'm sorry to hear that, **Goo-boy!**"

George's face hardened into a scowl. "Now, you've pissed me off..." 

George's fists became larger, and his arms abruptly shot out towards Spyke. In turn, Spyke slipped under the attack, and launched a barrage of spikes. Spyke sprouted another batch of bones, but George's arms circled around for another attack before he could launch them. Spyke dodged the fists only to find himself encircled by George's tendril-like arms. As soon as Spyke realized this, the arms snapped in, pinning his arms to his side. A moment later, George's oversized hands clamped down, completely ensnaring Spyke.

"So, what'd'ya got to say to that, smart-mouth?" In response, countless spikes shot out of Evan's body. "I thought so..." Completely unperturbed, George lifted his opponent up and slammed him into a nearby wall. As George retracted his arms, Spyke fell limply to the ground. George grinned. "That was almost too easy..."

George hadn't even turned around when the lightning shot through him. His scream was lost in the ensuing thunder. With somewhat sporadic movement, he regathered his singed body and turned to face his attacker.

Hovering in the air, Storm glared at George. Her voice had a hollow, almost ominous ring to it. "Funny how people always say that. ...Right before it gets harder..."

-------------------

With a determined scowl on his face, Ruckus watched the fight begin. Wolverine and 'Lith clashed. Vertigo and the redhead seemed to be trading psionic bolts. Four of the X-Men were charging his position, and George, Anthro and Bas were rushing to meet them. Ruckus' gaze quickly returned to Storm, quite possibly the most dangerous player on the field. A mist was beginning to envelope her, almost obscuring her position.

'She's gathering 'er powers,' Ruckus quickly concluded. 'If she manages to attack one of us first, we're toast! I gotta get 'er before she's ready to try something! Just hope George an' them can keep 'er friends off me...' Locking his eyes on his target, Ruckus inhaled deeply.

However, as Ruckus started to activate his power, he heard something behind him. An instant later, he felt something strike the back of his head. Ruckus reflexively yelled out as he fell toward the ground. Following his instinct, he quickly scuttled forward before regaining his footing and facing his attacker. And in the back of his mind, he noted that his yelp had a bit of his power behind it, and that it had at least disrupted whatever Storm was doing. But Ruckus didn't dwell on this, and his full attention was immediately returned to whomever had just attacked him.

Ruckus whirled around, expecting to find someone glowering over him. But as he tried to catch his breath, Ruckus saw no one. Just shadows. Shadows, some lights, a steak of red--

Again acting on instinct, Ruckus fell backwards. As he did, someone--something--leapt at him. Moving from survival-instincts to battle-instincts, Ruckus shot his feet out, catching his attacker and sending him flying over Ruckus's head. Ruckus quickly scrambled to his feet and looked to where his attacker had landed.

His attacker had landed neatly near a street lamp, yet was still only partly visible. But even in the half light, Ruckus could make out pointed ears, inhuman limbs, and a spade-tipped tail. Despite the fact that he was familiar with Anthro, the appearance of this new attacker unnerved Ruckus. "...The hell are you?"

Standing on all fours, Nightcrawler bared his teeth at Ruckus. "You hurt vone of my friends... Zat makes me your vurst nightmare!" With that, Nightcrawler leapt.

Ruckus reflexively backed off to counter the attack. But as Nightcrawler neared him, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Before Ruckus had time to react, Nightcrawler reappeared beside him, and leveled Ruckus with a solid punch to the jaw. Another quick teleportation allowed Nightcrawler to land another punch.

After the third punch, Ruckus dove to the ground, inhaling as he did so. He rolled onto his back and waited for a split second. Wanting to press his advantage, Nightcrawler teleported in font of Ruckus, poised to deliver the finishing blow. It never landed. As soon as Ruckus saw the small flash that heralded his attacker's arrival, he screamed.

Nightcrawler felt it as soon as the teleport was complete. The compressed sonic waves buffeted him, assaulting his hearing and sending him flying backwards. As quickly as he could, Nightcrawler teleported away. He reappeared off to the side, and tried to catch his breath. But Ruckus never gave him the chance to do so.

Nightcrawler looked up just in time to see a gloved fist flying towards his face. There was no way he could avoid it. Nor the kick that followed. Regaining his senses, Nightcrawler blocked the third blow and backpedaled furiously. As soon as he was out of Ruckus' reach, Nightcrawler teleported again.

Ruckus reacted immediately, inhaling deeply and whirling around. Yet even as he did, he heard a distinctive 'bamf' come from behind him--where he had just been facing. Before he could whirl around again, he felt something--a tail--wrap itself around his neck. The tail's grip tightened, choking him.

"Vat's za matter now, hotshot? Can't catch your breath?" Nightcrawler punctuated this remark by putting another squeeze on his neck.

Stuck in the choke-hold, Ruckus' mind raced furiously. Or tried to, with its limited blood supply. 'Tail... ...He's using his tail... Which means... He's close. He... He's in range!' 

With a renewed surge of energy, Ruckus planted his foot and threw his arm back as hard as he could. The backhand chop hit Nightcrawler in the temple. His tail instantly loosened as he struggled to remain upright. Gasping for breath, Ruckus pulled the tail away from him. As soon as he was free, he spun around and slugged the demon in the face. With only a strangled grunt, Nightcrawler fell to the ground, unconscious.

For a moment, Ruckus stood over his fallen opponent, trying to catch his breath. As his breathing finally evened, he looked out over the field. 'Storm!' He thought. 'I gotta find Storm. Have to make sure she--'

The cackle of an electric discharge quickly focused Ruckus' attention. He looked toward the sound, and saw Storm standing over something, with her hands still glowing. Ruckus looked closer, and realized that the 'something' was really the now formless body of George.

As she stood there, Storm's hollow voice floated to Ruckus' ears. "I'd advise you to stay down. Unless you enjoy close-up lightning demonstrations."

Ruckus' face hardened. "Hey, Storm!" He yelled out. "What's a little lighting without the thunder?" Storm whirled around, and Ruckus couldn't help but smile at the look of surprise on her face. "HUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Acting quicker than Ruckus had expected, Storm flew up above the sonic blast. As she did, the electric glow around her hands intensified. 

"Aw, crap..." Ruckus dove to the side as twin bolts of lightning struck the ground in front of him. Another bolt hit the ground beside him, knocking him off his feet. Knowing that Storm still had a clear shot at him, Ruckus began rolling. In doing so, he managed to barely avoid several more lightning strikes.

From her position in the sky, Storm scowled. "Agile little fellow, aren't you? Lets see if you can avoid more than just lightning..." Storm half closed her eyes in concentration as she summoned a concentrated gust of wind.

Ruckus' roll came to an abrupt stop when a gale force wind struck him, and nearly picked him up off the ground. He took advantage of the situation to jump back to his feet and jut back the in opposite direction. As he did, a lightning bolt shot through his billowed-out trenchcoat. Ruckus skid to a stop and tried to regain his breath.

"Very agile," commented Storm as she began hovering just above ground level. "But you shall fall, just the same!" A gust of wind came up behind her, and Storm shot towards Ruckus, with electricity arcing all around her.

Ruckus didn't even have time to activate his power before he was forced to dive away from Storm's charge. After she passed him, he managed to roll to his feet and send a sonic blast after her. His scream jolted her slightly, but did no real damage. Storm quickly steadied herself and turned back towards him.

Ruckus fell into a battle stance and glared at her. "Is that all you've got, X-Man?"

Storm replied in a voice dripping with disdain. "Hardly."

Ruckus raised his hands and gestured towards Storm. An uneven smile formed on his face. "Then bring it on..."

Ruckus hit the ground as two lightning bolts streaked over him. Instantly, he rolled to the side and was soon back to his feet. As he looked up, he saw Storm flying towards him again. With the same disturbed smile on his face, Ruckus closed his eyes, looked down, and screamed.

Dust billowed out around Ruckus, and bits of debris exploded away from where his blast hit the ground. The explosion forced Storm to veer away from her target. Even with an abrupt rise in altitude, she still had to shield her face from the debris. As she was doing so, Ruckus ran out of the dust cloud with his arms crossed over his face. He once again skid to a stop, and lowered his arms. Ruckus looked to the sky and saw Storm still hovering, trying to clear her eyes.

"Its over, Storm," he muttered. "Now FAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!"

The blast hit Storm dead on. The shock waves buffeted her body, shooting her upwards and causing her to loose control of her powers. When the scream ended, Storm fell to the ground, landing with a sickening 'thump.' Afterwards, she lay still. 

And for a moment, Ruckus stood triumphantly, with his trenchcoat billowing in the dying winds.

A howl of rage cut through the silence. "Auntie O!" 

Ruckus whirled around to face the speaker. As he did, he felt something burn across his forehead. Ruckus flinched back, and saw a furious Spyke running towards him. Reflexively, Ruckus sidestepped the wild charge, and tripped up Spyke. Ruckus fell into a fighting stance as Spyke scrambled back to his feet. As the fury of his initial charge wore away, Spyke too fell into a fighting stance. Both glaring, the two combatants began circling each other.

Trying to control his rage, Spyke repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists. "Nothing between you and me now, pal! This time... You're... Going... **Down**..."

Blood dripped past Ruckus' eyes. The gash in his forehead was deep. And it hurt. Even so, Ruckus wore a grin on his face. "You sure 'bout that, kid? I'm on **fire** tonight! ...But if you really think you can take me..." Ruckus chuckled and gestured toward his opponent. "...Bring it on!"

-------------------

Once again, Shadowcat was knocked to the ground. But this time, she just didn't have the will to get up. The fight had been beaten out of her. With a forlorn expression on her face, Kitty exhaled and waited for the final blow to come. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anthro rise up. Dejectedly, Kitty closed here eyes. Kitty heard the sound of a bone snapping. Then something heavy fell on her.

'That's it.' Kitty's mind lazily thought. 'I'm out. There's no way I could have survived that. ...Wait... Bone? ...First?'

Suddenly, the weight on her back was unceremoniously shoved aside. With her mind still reeling, Kitty felt herself get turned over. She opened her eyes, and found herself looking at the face of Evan Daniels. The roughed-up face of Evan Daniels. Kitty shifted her gaze slightly, and saw that Evan was holding half of a broken bone quarterstaff.

At that point, Shadowcat realized that Spyke was talking to her. "...Come on Kitty... Snap out of it! He couldn't have got you that bad..."

"Yes he could..." Kitty responded out of habit. "And he did..."

A smile formed on Spyke's battered face. "Well don't worry about him. He's taking a nap now. A nice, loooong nap." 

Spyke slowly helped Shadowcat to her feet. Kitty put a hand to her head as a wave of dizziness passed over her. "So... How're we doing?"

Still supporting his teammate, Spyke took a look around the battlefield. "Not so good. I just got pounded by that purple guy, but I think Auntie O took care of him... Other than that..." Spyke swallowed nervously. "...Things look pretty even. ...This isn't the Brotherhood we're dealing with... But once you're ready, we'll rush one of these guys and double-team 'em. Then maybe we can start to turn the tide..."

A yell from across the field interrupted the conversation. "Now FAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!"

Spyke's eyes shot open and he looked to the sky. He saw--almost in slow motion--Storm get caught in the sonic shockwave. Her body seemed to go limp as it got pushed upwards. Then the shockwave died away, and Storm's body slowed, then began its descent back down to Earth. Her body hit the ground, then lay still. For a moment, Spyke was in shock. Only a moment.

"Auntie O!" Forgetting about the injured Shadowcat, Spyke charged his Aunt's attacker. Almost frothing at the mouth, Evan sprouted three claw-like spikes and launched them straight at Ruckus. Ruckus was only barely able to avoid the projectiles before Spyke was upon him.

Kitty struggled to steady herself after Spyke's sudden departure. "So much for attacking together," she muttered.

Fighting through a headache, Kitty took her own look around the field. Spyke and Ruckus were facing off. Near them, both Storm and Nightcrawler were laying unconscious. On the other side of the field, Basilisk and Vertigo were standing over the barely struggling forms of Jean and Rogue. And elsewhere--

Kitty's jaw dropped in shock as she saw Wolverine swaying, barely staying upright. Beyond him stood 'Lith, wearing shredded clothes, yet completely unharmed. As Shadowcat watched, 'Lith stepped forward and grabbed Wolverine's head. He shoved Wolverine towards the ground, simultaneously raising his knee. Wolverine's neck collided with the knee, and the 'crack' was audible even across the field. As adamantium bones were snapped out of place, Wolverine literally bounced off of 'Lith's knee. Kitty could only gawk as Wolverine's limp body fell to the ground. Seemly satisfied with the outcome, 'Lith shook his head, and began walking over towards Ruckus and Spyke.

Unable to stay where she was, Kitty rushed over to where Wolverine lay. "Oh my God... Oh my God..." As she reached him, Kitty started tapping the side of Wolverine's head. "Come on, Mr. Logan. Don't be dead. Please don't be dead..." Nervously, Kitty felt Wolverine's neck, searching for a pulse. There wasn't one. "Oh my god... No pulse, he's dead. He's dead. He's--"

Suddenly, Wolverine's eyes shot open. Shadowcat screamed and fell backward in surprise. Now completely berserk, Wolverine ignored her. Instantly, he was on his feet and running. 

'Lith heard Kitty's scream, and turned to investigate. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Wolverine charging towards him. He didn't even have time to react before Wolverine's metallic knuckles cracked against his forehead.

As she watched the brawl begin anew, Shadowcat slowly calmed down. "Okay... He's not dead. That's good..."

Suddenly, Shadowcat heard a footfall behind her. Still not fully recovered from her earlier fight, Shadowcat couldn't go intangible before the blow struck. A fist hit the back of her head, and Shadowcat fell forward.

Basilisk smirked proudly. "Huh... Piece of cake. Looks like Rogue's the only one of you punks who's got some bite. Ah well. She'll go down soon enough..."

Hovering at the brink of unconsciousness, Shadowcat let out a groan.

"Oh, still awake, are ya? Easy enough to fix." Bas had his fist poised to strike when a quiet, ragged voice cut through the night.

"Back... Off..."

Bas chuckled and lowered his fist. "Now why would I do something like that?" 

"Because... I said to..."

Bas glanced at the speaker. He saw a silhouette of a strangely contorted, almost feral-looking man. Bas smiled cockily, positive that he could outpower any bestial opponent. "Oh really? You think you can take me, punk? Tell ya what... I'll finish her later. But for now, I'll just settle for pounding on you!" With a wicked smile on his face, Bas began walking towards the figure.

"Go ahead..." Replied the figure in its raspy voice. "Fight me. Try whatever you want with me..." As he spoke, the figure's voice became less ragged, and his stance became more intimidating. Too late, Bas realized who he was dealing with. "...JUST STAY AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!"

And a crimson streak illuminated the battlefield...

-------------------


	8. Endgame

Nasty Boyz

-------------------

Nathan's lab...

As he monitored the fight, Nathan's normally pale face darkened. "Well, young Summers," he murmered to himself. "It appears you have returned. And despite what you've been through, you still dominate the battlefield. Indeed, you look to be the deciding factor in the fight..." For a moment, Nathan stared longingly at the monitors. "...You've become everything I ever dreamed you'd be..."

Nathan sighed and stood up. "Alas, you stand firm in your allegiance to Xavier..." 

Reluctantly, Nathan approached a large computer console. He gazed at the console for another moment, contemplating the repercussions of what he was about to do. At length, he placed his hand on a security pad. "Computer. Commence temporary shut-down. Authorization: Essex."

"Voice-print, confirmed," responded the computer. "Gene-scan, confirmed. Commencing shut down." As the steady hum of the computer began slowing down, Nathan dejectedly walked away. 

"...More's the pity..."

-------------------

The X-Mansion...

Professor Xavier sat at the Cerebro console, his face lined with thought. Suddenly, his eyes sot open. For some reason, the static around Newark was beginning to dissipate. With renewed enthusiasm, Xavier wheeled closer to the console and began manipulating the controls.

Slowly, Cerebro managed to pick out the mutant signatures present in Newark. Xavier caught his breath as Cerebro started displaying its readings. In one concentrated area, Cerebro detected fourteen mutants. However, just over half that number showed any active readings. The other half were unconscious.

Xavier bit his lip as Cerebro began listing off the identified the mutants. "Searching files for matching mutant signature," began Cerebro in its mechanical voice. "Matching signatures found for: Evan Daniels, Jean Grey, Logan, Ororo Munroe, Katherine Pryde, Rogue, Scott Summers, Erin Valchek, and Kurt Wagner. New mutants signatures: "Alec Cranston, George Dawson, Bas Hill, and Jason Thompson. Files for the final mutant signature are unavailable." As it listed each name, a small icon of the mutant's head appeared along the top of the screen.

But by that point, Xavier wasn't paying any attention to Cerebro's report. Instead, he was double checking the list of mutants already on file. "Scott..." Xavier repeated aloud. "They did it! They found Scott!" Abruptly, his voice soon went from triumphant to concerned. "...But, if only half of the mutants are conscious..."

Xavier was interrupted by an emergency klaxon from Cerebro. Scanning beyond the confines of the battlefield, it had detected another mutant in Newark. A chill fell over Xavier as he recognized the meaning of the klaxon.

"No! It can't be--There are only three mutants in the world who would trigger that! And they--They..." Xavier's voice faltered, and the blood drained from his face.

"Additional mutant signature matched to files. Mutant designate: Nathaniel Essex--Alpha level mutant. Initiating priority-one alert."

Xavier shook his head, as the reality of the situation finally sunk in. "It **is** him... He's--He's back... I--I have to--Have to call them back! I HAVE TO GET THEM OUT OF THERE!"

Panicking, Xavier hurriedly switched Cerebro from scanning to broadcast mode. With Cerebro amplifying his message, Xavier frantically called out to his students in Newark. 'X-Men! Retreat! I repeat: Break off and retreat. Gather our team and get to the Blackbird as soon as you can. Get out of there! You must get out of Newark! Quickly!'

Xavier repeated his orders, only praying that they would be obeyed... In time...

-------------------

Newark...

Ruckus was on the ropes. The gash on his forehead was still open, sending blooding gushing down his face. He had to constantly fight to keep his vision clear. Spyke saw this, and was taking advantage of it to the fullest.

Another punch sent Ruckus spinning to the ground. Ruckus saw movement, and rolled to the side. As he did, a staff-like spike pinned his trenchcoat to the ground. As quickly as he could, Ruckus grabbed the spike with one hand, and drove his other elbow into the base of the spike. The bottom of the staff shattered, freeing Ruckus. Ruckus rolled again, and flung the remainder of the bone back at his attacker.

Spyke easily dodged the projectile, but it gave Ruckus enough time to get back to his feet and charge his opponent. In the condition that he was in, Ruckus couldn't control his breathing well enough to activate his power, and thus had been fighting physically for some time. Ignoring the pain it caused, Ruckus used his near-injured forearm to chop down at Spyke.

Spyke whirled back around and raised his arms to block the incoming blow. Nonetheless, Spyke was driven back a step. Ruckus too was forced back, but he instantly sprung forward again. Ruckus quickly drove his knee into Spyke's side. The follow-through carried Ruckus around his opponent, and once he got his footing, Ruckus again lashed out.

The blow caught Spyke off-guard and sent him spinning. But even as he spun, Spyke was regaining his senses. Instead of halting the spin as soon as he could, Spyke controlled the spin. As he did, armor plates sprouted along the back of his fist. Spyke planted his foot, and let his momentum carry his armored knuckles straight into Ruckus.

Ruckus took the blow in the jaw. Pain shot through him as he was knocked to the ground. With his senses reeling, he tried to get back up as quickly as he could, stumbling away from Spyke in the process. Once he finally regained his footing, he glared at Spyke, slowly backing away in a haphazard stance.

As Ruckus backed away, Spyke strode forward with slow, measured steps. "Not so cocky now, are ya, Ruckus?! Heck, form the looks of things, you can barely stand! And if you take a look around, you'll see the rest of your team ain't faring any better..."

Ruckus refused to take the bait, keeping his eyes locked on Spyke's. "Yeah," he managed to spit out. "Maybe, but neither's your side. I should know... I took out two of 'em... Or have you forgotten that?"

Spyke's face darkened. "Trust me, man, I **haven't** forgotten! And there's no way I'm letting you walk away from here without paying for that..."

Reflexively lowing his stance, Ruckus continued to back away. In the back of his mind, Ruckus noted that Spyke was probably right. Ruckus was in no condition to continue the fight. He had lost a lot of blood from the gash in his forehead, as well as through a multitude of other cuts. His arm had gone numb. And his breathing continued to be ragged. Ruckus was running out of options, and was getting desperate.

Meanwhile, Spyke continued his relentless advance, taunting all the way. "You're going down... And there's no way you ca--" Spyke abruptly broke off. For a moment, he got a faraway look in his eyes and his expression contorted in disbelief. "What?! No way! We've got them on the ropes! We can win this thing! We can--"

Ruckus saw the opening, and took it. While Spyke was distracted, Ruckus darted forward and delivered a sidekick to the gut of Spyke. Ruckus quickly followed up with a punch to the face. The tandem blows left Spyke doubled over. Using every ounce of strength he had, Ruckus grabbed Spyke by his costume, and threw him into a nearby wall.

However, Spyke quickly regained his footing and skid to a stop before crashing into the wall. Spyke stood up and glared at the exhausted Ruckus. The determined scowl on his face showed that whatever had distracted him earlier was over. Ruckus saw--almost in slow motion--two fistfuls of bones grow out of Spyke's hands, and knew that the fight was over.

_Desperation breeds strength..._

Even as the words flew unbidden through his mind, Ruckus felt himself inhale. Fighting through the pain, Ruckus' posture straightened, and he screamed. The sonic burst took Spyke off his feet and sent him flying into the wall he had just avoided. The wall gave way, and Spyke fell through it, landing with a strangled grunt.

Breathing hard, Ruckus wiped the blood from his eyes and glanced around the battlefield. There was little left to be seen, and the fight between 'Lith and Wolverine instantly caught his attention. 

Delivering blow after blow, Wolverine was driving 'Lith across the battlefield. There was no strategy to his attack: just a steady stream of punches. Punches that seemed to reverberate across the field. And though he struggled valiantly, 'Lith was being staggered by each blow. As Ruckus watched, a haymaker punch sent 'Lith reeling backwards, and put some distance between the two combatants.

It also gave Ruckus a clear shot. Again fighting through the pain, Ruckus steadied himself and let out a concentrated pinpoint blast. The air between Ruckus and Wolverine rippled as the shockwave pulsed toward their target. Simultaneously, a red streak lanced through the darkness, intersecting the sonic blast and striking 'Lith in the chest. Both Wolverine and 'Lith were knocked aside by the tandem blasts.

With a scowl on his face, Ruckus turned toward the origin of the red blast. What he saw didn't surprise him.

"...Summers..."

"...Alec..."

-------------------

Rubbing the back of her head, Shadowcat slowly pushed herself back up to a crouch. "Oooohhh.... I am going to need so much aspirin after this night..." As her headache began fading away, Shadowcat tried to take a look around the field. Many of the field's sparse lights had been destroyed in the fight, leaving the battlefield dark and severely limiting visibility.

As Kitty fought off the last of her headache, the sound of shallow breathing floated through the air. It was followed by a voice.

"Give it up, Summers! You won't... You can't win! You just... Just don't have it in you!"

"Summers? Scott--Scott's here?! But--If he's..." Whispering to herself, Shadowcat frantically turned to face the voices. In the shadows, she could make out two silhouettes. On figure was on the ground. The other silhouette was standing beside the first, apparently glaring down. "Oh no..."

Scott's hollow voice floated through the air. "Say it again, Bas. You just might convince somebody..." Kitty had to shield her eyes from the sudden flash of red. When she looked back, the figure on the ground lay still.

"Scott?" Kitty tried to dash towards her teammate, but nearly stumbled as she tried to stand upright.

"Kitty..." Scott's voice regained some of its character as he rushed to Kitty's side. "Almost forgot about you... Wha--What are you doing here?"

With a lopsided grin on her face, Shadowcat managed to stand upright. "Trying to rescue you, ironically enough..." In the dim light, Kitty couldn't see much of her friend. Nonetheless, the fact that he was there, alive, reassured her. "So, like, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm..." Scott's voice wavered, almost imperceptibly. "...I'll live. How is..." Scott trailed off as the air began to brighten. "Look out!"

Scott abruptly shoved Shadowcat to the side. Reflexively, Shadowcat phased intangible to avoid landing on the ground. An instant later, the eerie glow of Vertigo's power enveloped Scott. The attack staggered Scott, but he managed to stay upright.

Still intangible, Shadowcat traced the blast to its source. Vertigo was perched on a nearby rise in the ground, practically pouring the blast onto Scott. Because of the light given off by her power, Vertigo's expression was plainly visible. From Kitty's perspective, she looked furious, and more than a little unhinged.

"Valcheck..." Grinding his teeth, Scott fought to keep his balance.

With a scowl on her face, Vertigo continued her assault. "So, Scotty came back... Dumb move on your part! You should have learned from your mistakes, Summers. We pounded you once, and we can do it again. And don't think you can stop me alone," growled Vertigo. "Your telepath couldn't handle me, your rogue couldn't handle me, and neither will you!" To emphasize her point, Vertigo let her power momentarily spike.

Kitty watched helplessly, as Scott seemed to buckle under the intensified assault. But after a moment, Scott steadied himself. In what looked to be an agonizingly slow process, Scott hardened his stance, and began to face his attacker.

In response, Vertigo poured more energy into her attack. "Oh no you don't! You're going to fall, Summers! Ruckus may buy into that crap about you being some kinda ultimate warrior, but I don't! Your just a regular mutant, no better than the rest of us! And you're... Going... To FALL!" Now all but screaming, Vertigo poured every ounce of strength she had into the attack.

Under the renewed assault, Scott did. As Vertigo's powers peaked, Scott cried out, and dropped down to his knees. As she watched, Kitty realized that Scott wasn't going to overcome this assault. A second later, she realized that she was doing absolutely nothing to stop it. In an instant, Kitty was back on her feet and charging.

"Hey Valcheck!" Yelled Kitty, in a voice she barely recognized as her own. "Why don't you shut up for a second and try actually fighting someone!" To emphasize her point, Shadowcat sprang into the air.

Vertigo's blast struck her mid-air, causing Kitty to land in a disoriented heap. "You actually thought that would work?" Spat out Vertigo as she blasted Shadowcat a second time. "'Yell at her then charge?' Even Rogue put up a better fight than--" Vertigo cut herself short and spun around. "--Oh shi--" 

Kitty couldn't help but smile as she saw a red flash out of the corner of her eye. As her disorientation lifted, Kitty quickly sat up. She looked over at Scott, and saw him crouched on one knee, with his hand still clutching the controls of his visor. But even as Kitty watched, Scott's adrenaline gave out, and Scott began to waver. 

"Scott!" Kitty instantly sprang forward to help steady her friend. 

Leaning on Shadowcat's shoulder, it took Scott a minute to catch his breath. "Uhh... Thanks Kitty," Scott finally managed. "Guess Erin almost got me there..."

"Its alright, Scott," Kitty reassured. "You'll be fine in just a minute. I know you'll--"

Shadowcat was interrupted by a psionic broadcast from Salem Center. 'X-Men! Retreat! I repeat: Break off and retreat. Gather our team and get to the Blackbird as soon as you can. Get out of there! You must get out of Newark! Quickly!'

With a concerned expression on her face, Kitty looked up at her companion. "Scott, are you hearing--Is that the Professor?"

'Retreat immediately! Break off! Forget about Erin and the others, just gather our team and get out of Newark! Just... ...Out of..." Xavier's voice seemed to drift away, and soon disappeared all together.

Shadowcat paused for a moment longer, waiting for the professor's voice to come back. It didn't. "Scott, did you hear that?"

"I heard it..." As always, Scott's expression was unreadable, but a note of hopelessness had crept into his voice. "So we're retreating... We're giving up..."

Shadowcat looked up at Scott with stark disbelief on her face. "Giving up on what, Scott?! We came here to get you! You're here, you're alive, that's all that matters!"

Scott shook his head and steadied himself. As he looked down at Shadowcat, his voice regained its authority. "You're right... Okay, Kitty, get the others. Find every one on our team, and make sure they get back to the Blackbird. And when you get there, make sure the engines are hot."

As Scott began walking away, Kitty looked at him with a forlorn expression on her face. "Scott--Scott, wait! What are you--Where are you going?"

"To play rearguard." Scott didn't look back. "I'm going to watch our backs, and make sure the retreat doesn't turn into a rout. Now get moving..."

-------------------

"Now get moving!" 

Kitty didn't know much about sounding authoritative. She had never been in a position where she had needed to give orders. Until just now, when Scott all but ordered her to oversee the retreat. For that, she needed to be authoritative. And the best way to do that, she quickly concluded, was to imitate Scott.

"...And it looks like its working," Kitty mumbled as she watched Rogue carry Jean off the filed. Wringing her hands together nervously, Kitty turned her attention back to the field. "Okay... They're safe. Now I need... Scott wanted the engines ready, so I need someone who knows the Blackbird. That'd be Kurt or Wolverine... And I saw Kurt over there, so..."

Kitty trailed off as she noticed something on her glove. "Blood. Probably mine. This is just great..."

Forcing that thought from her mind, Shadowcat dashed off to where she had seen Kurt earlier. She stopped quickly, and glanced back and forth between Nightcrawler and Storm. Nightcrawler looked hurt, but Storm...

Catching her breath, Kitty knelt down next to Kurt. "Come on, Kurt, wake up. I know your still here, so just--Just wake up..." Nightcrawler moved slightly, but other than that, he made no reaction. On the verge of becoming very concerned, Shadowcat lost control of her voice. "KURT!!!"

Abruptly, Nightcrawler's yellow eyes shot open. "Gah! Vat--Oww!" As he snapped back into consciousness, Kurt tried to sit up. It hurt.

Kitty steadied him. "I knew you were still there, you little elf. You okay?"

"No..."

Kitty bit her lip. "Well, neither are the rest of us... Look Kurt, we've found Scott. Now we're leaving." As she spoke, Shadowcat helped Nightcrawler to his feet. "Scott wants you back at the Blackbird. He wants, like, the engines hot or something. Can you teleport there?"

"Not in vone jump," replied Nightcrawler, rubbing his head. His mind was still reeling and the full meaning of Kitty's words weren't quite sinking in. "But I think I can make it. But... Vat about--"

Kitty didn't let him complete his sentence. "Good. Storm's hurt, so grab her and go."

Nightcrawler blinked, still trying to comprehend the situation. "But--"

"Jean and Rogue are already on their way. Now Go!" For further emphasis Kitty shot out her arm. "Scott's orders! Now move it!"

After sparing her one last befuddled glance, Nightcrawler bounded away. As he did, Kitty breathed a sigh of relief. Even when imitating Scott, she could only be authoritative for short periods of time. After that, she started sounding like her usual, ditzy self...

"I'll have to work on that," she muttered. "But not right now..." Shaking her head, Shadowcat dashed off once again.

-------------------

As the last of his bones reset themselves, Wolverine began coming around. The first thing he noticed, aside from a dull ache throughout his body, was a ringing in his ears. Grunting, he tried to sit up. As he did, his sense of smell kicked in and he noticed two people near him. He groggily identified them as Shadowcat and Spyke.

"...I sure hope he doesn't go berserk again..."

Wolverine grunted again and looked at the two kids crouching near him. "Don't worry kid... My head hurts too much to do that right now..." Still regaining his senses, Wolverine slowly got to his feet.

"Funny how that works..." Quipped Spyke. "Now hurry up Logan. We've got to get back to the Blackbird!"

"...Blackbird?"

"We got a call from Xavier," informed Kitty. "We're supposed to get out of here as soon as we can. Now come on!" With this last statement, Shadowcat started sprinting away with Spyke beside her.

Instinctively, Wolverine followed. In short order, he caught up with the duo. As he did, his nose picked up a new, oddly familiar scent. However, his brain dismissed the scent, as it was still working on figuring out just what was going on. "Wait--If we're leavin', that means..."

"Means we found Scott!" Confirmed Spyke, enthusiastically.

Wolverine breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. So he's already at the Blackbird?"

"No," Kitty automatically replied. "He's playing rearguard. Covering our--Heh!"

Wolverine had violently skid to a stop. At Kitty's comment, his mind had finally put two and two together, and he was now running in the opposite direction. "Keep going!" He yelled out. "I'll meet you at the 'Bird!" Without even looking back, Wolverine sprinted toward the battlefield.

"Scott, you idiot..." He growled. "You're taking the fall **again**..." 

-------------------

Battered and bloodied, Scott stood tall, motionless on the battlefield. Holding his injured arm off to his side, he stared balefully at Ruckus. "You set me up, Alec..." Though quiet, his voice was dripping with rage. "You set up me, and you set up my friends. Why, Alec?! Was it just so you could start a fight? Just so you could prove something?!"

"No." In contrast to Scott, Ruckus was crouched over, heaving visibly. With sporadic movements, he began walking around Scott in a wide arc. The action gave him an almost feral air. "No, Scott. This was never a set-up. This... Was never meant to happen at all. All we were doing... All we wanted was to keep a low profile... And to wait. We weren't supposed to be noticed..."

"You have a funny definition of keeping a low profile, Alec," spat out Scott.

"It was what we wanted!" Growled Ruckus. "But when you showed up... You and your bloody 'Institute...' You blew all that! We had to react..."

"Don't give me that!" Yelled Scott, keeping his eyes on Ruckus. "Being noticed hardly justifies this kind of attack! SO WHAT DID?!"

Ruckus snorted in response. As he continued his maneuvering, he wiped some blood out of his eyes, and flicked it disdainfully in Scott's direction.

Scott's scowl deepened. "So it was me... I showed up, and Mr. Essex just couldn't resist... So he had you string me along, then spring the trap. You put together this whole thing, just because Essex thinks I'm some kind of 'ultimate warrior.' All this... Just for another soldier?"

"'Another soldier?!'" A sick, haggard laugh escaped Ruckus. "Just another soldier? Scott... The fact that you're still standing... After all that you've been through... Proves you're so much more than that..." As blood dripped back down his brow, Ruckus looked back up at Scott. "But Scotty... What you are now... Is nothing compared to what you can create. You are the key to the future! The blood that runs through your veins--

Scott snapped. "The blood in my veins? You mean the blood on my **face**! The blood on my hands! The blood I left on the pavement!" With his teeth clenched, Scott glared at Ruckus for another moment. "...If Essex thinks I'm so important... Then why's he want me dead?"

"'Cause ya went rogue, mate. You're to dangerous to let loose..."

Scott stayed silent for a moment, keeping his eyes focused on Ruckus. At length, he spoke again. "And your part in all of this... Why have you been you always been the one explaining things? What does Essex want with **you**?"

A pained smirk formed on Ruckus' face. "Same thing 'e wants with you, mate. I'm just the next best thing..."

"And I'll bet it was your job was to keep me from getting away..." Scott's face became grimmer than before. "I'd say you failed Ruckus. I took everything you threw at me, and I'm still standing here!"

Though he continued his circling, Ruckus visibly tensed up. "Not everything," he said quietly.

Scott ignored Ruckus' remark. "So if this was all about me, why the fight? Why'd you try to nail my friends?"

Ruckus replied in an ominous voice. "We didn't, mate. I already told you, they weren't part of the plan... Y'see, we didn't try to nail them... They tried to nail us!"

"You expect me to believe that..." Slowly, the malice had begun to fade from Scott's voice. It was being replaced by the cold, calculating tones of his combat voice. "Well Alec, I don't. But right now, I really don't care why it happened... You **lost**, Alec. That's all that matters... Now leave. Go back to Essex! And then you tell him that if he ever--"

"No can do, Summers," cut in Ruckus. "Not until this fight is over... Y'see, before it even started, I gave your friends a chance to walk away from this. But they chose to fight... They **wanted** this!" Ruckus halted his circling, and stood upright. "That was their only chance, Scott. It was your only chance... This fight ain't over, 'til only one of us can walk away..."

Scott stared hard at Ruckus. "You know it'll be me, Alec. You admitted it yourself. You're the 'next best' thing... If you really believe all this, you know you don't stand a chance..."

Ruckus chuckled, softly. "You're right... Nate says you're unbeatable... But tonight... Tonight I've been on fire!" A grin came over Ruckus' bloody face. "I think I may just prove Nate wrong..."

"You can try..." Scott's hand darted up to his visor's controls. "But I wouldn't bet on it!"

Before Ruckus could react, the optic blast struck him in the shoulder. The shot spun him around and knocked him off he feet. Ruckus landed on his knees, facing Scott. In retaliation, Ruckus raised his head and screamed.

The shockwave hit Scott and staggered him. His ears began ringing, and he was driven back a step. Nonetheless, the blast didn't have enough force to take him down. After several seconds, the scream faded, leaving Scott still standing.

Taking his hands away from his ears, Scott looked down at his opponent. Completely drained, Ruckus remained on his hands and knees, with his head bent down, and hair falling over his face. With a grim expression on his face, Scott reached up to the controls for his visor.

"What?" Scott tapped the firing mechanism again. There was a click from his visor, but nothing else. Grinding his teeth in frustration, he hit the button several times in succession. The result was the same. "No... Not here... Not now... Not after all this!" Scott clenched his fist in anger. "After everything its been through, my visor get jammed by a blasted SHOCKWAVE!"

Furious, and deprived of any ranged attack, Scott charged Ruckus. Still breathing heavily, Ruckus remained on all fours, watching Scott's approach. As Scott came into striking range, he took a half-leap toward Ruckus. He landed on his left foot, and through all his weight and momentum into a finishing kick.

The kick never landed. As soon as Scott's first foot hit the ground, Ruckus lunged forward. Ruckus drove his shoulder into Scott's chest, taking Scott off his feet. Assisted by Scott's momentum, Ruckus whirled around and slammed Scott into the ground. The force of the dual impacts knocked the wind out of Scott.

Ruckus, however, was just as winded, and unable to follow up on the attack. After slamming Scott to the ground, Ruckus bounced back a step and tried to catch his breath. However, he didn't bounce far enough back. After only a few seconds, Scott regained his wits and kicked out his feet. Ruckus was hit in calves, and dropped to his knees. Scott quickly followed up by rolling to a crouch and delivering an uppercut punch.

The punch knocked Ruckus backwards, but he quickly rolled to his feet. Once he regained his footing, he took a step back to get some space, then launched himself at Scott. Scott ducked, and Ruckus' flying roundhouse went over his head. Ruckus landed, and before Scott react, he reversed his spin and drove a the palm of his hand into Scott's forehead.

Pressing his advantage, Ruckus threw a punch at Scott's midsection. The blow connected, and Scott doubled over pain. Ruckus tried to follow up with a backhand chop, but Scott somehow saw the blow coming and raised his injured arm to block the chop. Nonetheless, the pain created by blocking the blow sent Scott back a step.

"I got ya reelin,'" whispered a haggard Ruckus. "...Just need ta get ya off your feet, and its over..." 

With Scott still doubled over, Ruckus stepped forward and feinted a kick at Scott's ribs. Scott tried to move to block the kick, but before he could, Ruckus dropped to one knee and aimed his kick at the base of Scott's legs.

With his reflexes working faster than they had a right to, Scott jumped just high enough to clear Ruckus' foot. As Ruckus' foot swept underneath him, Scott swiveled in midair and threw his fist down in the kick's path. The back of Scott's knuckle rebounded painfully off of Ruckus' boot. However, the counterattack served it purpose, hurting Ruckus enough to prevent him from quickly regaining his footing.

Scott landed on his hands and knees, and immediately glanced up at Ruckus. As he suspected, his blow had stung Ruckus, and prevented him from regaining his footing. Pressing his advantage, Scott lashed out at his opponent. Ruckus took the blow in the face and was knocked backward. As Ruckus tried to backpedal away, Scott hopped to his feet and landed another blow.

The second punch sent Ruckus sprawling over, leaving him on his hands and knees. From there he quickly stood up, only to receive another fist to the face. The punch drove him back a step, but didn't knock him down. As he saw Scott moving in for another attack, Ruckus hunched over and braced himself. Scott's arm reared back, giving Ruckus the opening he was looking for.

Putting his whole weight into the thrust, Ruckus shot both of his arms straight into Scott's injured chest. Scott yelled out and immediately bent over, clutching his stomach. Completely staggered, Scott fell back several steps, his pain not receding in the least. Seeing his opportunity, Ruckus reared up, and prepared to deliver the finishing blow.

However, Ruckus over-choreographed the move, and Scott saw it coming. Fighting through the pain, Scott darted toward Ruckus. Before Ruckus could fully react, Scott shot up and wrapped his arms around Ruckus' head, with Scott's own head positioned right below Ruckus' jaw. Once his grip was secure, Scott dropped to his knees, pulling down Ruckus' head in the process. As the fall came to an abrupt stop, Ruckus' jaw cracked against the top of Scott's head.

Ruckus rebounded backwards, barely keeping himself upright. Scott too, quickly sprung back up to his feet. Still off balance, Ruckus staggered forward slightly, putting himself back in range. Seizing the moment, Scott stepped up and attacked. Futily, Ruckus attempted to block the move. But his mind was too dazed, and his senses too scattered for him to succeed. Before Ruckus could react, Scott had planted his foot, spun, and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick.

The kick landed on Ruckus' jaw. The blow destroyed what was left of Ruckus' balance, and sent him spinning across the ground. After only a second, his back slammed against a concrete column. Too hurt to move, Ruckus leaned there, breathing heavily through his open mouth, with his unfocused eyes staring into nothing.

Scott, however, had also been hurt by the move. In delivering the roundhouse, he had extended his entire body, in particular stretching the muscles in his torso. Only an instant after he delivered the kick, his already injured muscles spasmed violently, causing Scott to once more double over in pain. Scott wrapped his arms around his chest, and slowly tried to fight his way back to his feat. 

At length, Scott succeeded in standing upright. Still clutching his chest, he stared defiantly at Ruckus. Somehow, Ruckus caught Scott's gaze, and his eyes regained their focus. Ruckus seemed to unbalance himself and lurched away from the column. Ruckus took a step forward and then fell into a haggard battle stance.

Grinding his teeth, Scott responded. His scowl deepened, and he pulled his good arm away from his chest. Forcing his way through the pain, Scott straitened his stance, and stared down at Ruckus.

For a moment, Ruckus held his position, staring defiantly at Scott. Then, his breathing began to slow. Simultaneously, his hands faltered, and fell to his side. With a strangled gasp, Ruckus fell to his knees. For a brief moment, he looked up at Scott, and despair flickered across his eyes. Dejectedly, Ruckus lowered his head, and collapsed down to his hands and knees. With his hair obscuring his face, he was the picture of defeat.

"Go back..." Ordered Scott, in a voice devoid of all emotion. "Go back to Essex. And tell him... Tell him that I'll be watching... And if he ever--EVER--messes with my team again... He... Will deal... With me... ...**Personally**!"

With that, Scott turned away, and staggered off into the darkness.

-------------------

Just outside the Hyde construction complex...

With the fight over, Scott's remaining strength quickly faded away. With his adrenaline no longer pumping, his head began throbbing again. The pain from his numerous injuries threatened to overwhelm him, and Scott quickly lost all sense of balance and direction.

Abruptly, he stumbled, and fell. But before he hit the ground, something--someone--broke his fall.

"Don't worry kid," reassured a gruff voice. "I got'cha."

With a dazed look on his face, Scott groggily identified the voice. "Wlvr... Wolverine?"

A smirk played across Wolverine's unmasked face. "Like I said, Scott, I got'cha."

Completely exhausted, Scott began to slump into Logan's arms. "Wh... What 'bout th'others?"

"In the Blackbird, kid. They're just waitin' on you." With that, Wolverine readjusted his grip and picked Scott off his feet.

"I don't nd hlp..." Protested Scott. "...I cn wlk..."

"Sure ya can, kid. Sure ya can..." Cradling Scott as best he could, Wolverine ran to the Blackbird.

-------------------

The Blackbird...

Straining her eyes, Rogue stood anxiously at the door of the blackbird. She wasn't sure how long she had been standing watch, but it had felt like hours. Kitty and Spyke had been the last ones in. When they had arrived, they had said something about Wolverine going back for--

"Stand clear!" Came the shout from the cockpit. "Vire in za hole!" Rogue had time only to step back and cover her ears before the Blackbirds engines came to life. They revved up several times before easing down to a standby position. "Voo-Yeah! Engines hot and locked in vertical launch position. Zis bird is ready to fly!" To emphasize his point, Nightcrawler revved the engines again.

Still covering her ears, Rogue grabbed a comm unit. "Keep it down, Kurt!" She yelled back. "We've still got two people out there. An' Scott's one of 'em! We can't leave 'till they--"

"Out of the way!"

Startled, Rogue dropped the comm unit and whirled toward the doorway. As her eyes readjusted to the darkness, she saw Wolverine sprinting toward the Blackbird. He was carrying something, and running faster than she had ever seen him run.

"Out of the way!" He repeated angrily. Rogue threw herself to the side as Wolverine bolted up the stairs and into the plane.

"Wolverine--" She called out. "--Is that--"

"Yeah!" Yelled Wolverine, still hustling to the back of the jet. "Why are we still on the ground?!"

Rouge instantly keyed in the code to close the hatch, then picked up the comm unit. "Kurt! They made it! We're all here! Take off, already!"

The renewed roaring of the engines instantly answered Rogue. "Okay, everyvone--SEATBELTS!"

The Blackbird lurched violently and began its vertical ascent. Before the jet was even a hundred feet off the ground, the rear jets kicked in. The Jet surged forward, throwing its passengers backwards. Rogue, who was still standing at the time, lost her balance and fell into a bulkhead. Groaning inaudibly, she clasped her head and took the nearest seat.

In another part of the plane, Kitty was putting the final bandage on Storm's arm. "'Kay, Storm, that looks like it..." Nervously, Shadowcat ran her fingers through her hair. "I think I'd better go check on Scott an' Logan, now..."

Storm, with Spyke sitting next to her, smiled. "Yes... Thank you, child..."

Kitty grinned weakly in response, then picked up the first aid kit and headed toward the back of the plane. "Okay, Logan," she began, "I know you probably don't need anything, but how's Scott? He's got to be pretty... Pretty..."

Slipping through Kitty's hands, the first aid kit crashed noisily to the floor.

Exhaling loudly, Logan looked at Kitty, then back at Scott. Scott had long since lost consciousness, and was laid out over a pair of seats. In the clear lighting of the Blackbird, the blood caked on his sweater and face were painfully obvious. Even unconsciously, he cradled his right arm over his chest. His breathing was ragged, and red puddles were already pooling at the base of the seats.

Wolverine exhaled again. "Just... Just give it here, Half-pint. ...And tell Xavier to get the infirmary ready once we land..."

-------------------

The X-Mansion...

Xavier sat limply in his wheelchair, his head weighed down by the Cerebro helmet. The static covering Newark had returned. Cerebro could no longer detect the mutant signatures, and worse still, could not even broadcast into Newark. Weary, and feeling more helpless than he had ever felt in his life, Xavier closed his eyes in resignation.

"Charles..." A soft voice came through the Cerebro console. Defeated, Xavier didn't even open his eyes to find the origin of the transmission. He knew all too well who was sending the signal. "Oh Clarr-lles... Can you hear me, Charles?"

The voice chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure you can hear me. You wouldn't give up your vigil this early. Why if I know you, you'll be sitting there in that wheelchair of yours... Eyes closed, lips pursed in frustration... Praying your students made it out in time. Am I right, Charles?"

Xavier slouched farther into his chair.

"Its been a long time hasn't it Charles," continued the voice. "Why, it couldn't have been any less than six years since we last crossed paths. Now what were we doing then..." Waxing nostalgic, the voice paused. "...Oh, yes, I remember. I was running that little orphanage down in Missouri. A cozy little place, that... Just outside of St. Louis, if I recall...

"Ah those were the days... I had everything I needed back then. Besides running the orphanage, I had my research. My research, which was just coming into fruition! And... And I had another project, one which I was prepared to devote the rest of my life to. A child, there in the orphanage. A young, bright eyed--though you'd never know it--lad who had found his way into my care. I had such hopes for him...

"You know who I'm talking about, Charles. Scott Summers. A mutant. An incredible mutant. The **gateway** to the phase of mutant evolution! I've tested the genetic material of that child, Charles. I never found its limits... In his lifetime, the young Summers will only achieve a fraction of what he is capable of... To truly utilize his power, I would have to wait for the next generation..."

A menacing undertone crept into the voice. "But that generation never came, did it Charles? Instead, you did. You came, and right under my nose, flitted Summers away to your own little school. I let my guard down for only a moment, and I lost the greatest prize I could imagine...

"It was my own fault, Charles. I fully understand that. I also understand, that I will never have another chance to get him back. He... And the rest of his companions... Are yours.

"But understand, Charles, that Scott was not my sole ambition. Like you, like Magnus, I have gathered my own flock. My own charges, whom shall carry my standard into the next generation! I have watched you and Magnus, Charles. I have watched your clashes over the allegiance of your students. I had no desire to a part of your petty squabbles. I wished to be alone with my charges... Unnoticed, and unmolested.

"And then... You came recruiting... You once again attempted to sway one of my charges to your side... And in a move of poetic irony, you chose to do so using Summers himself." The voiced paused a long moment before continuing. "So close... Charles, I will readily admit that in a moment of weakness, I believed I might still have a chance to gain Scott's allegiance. I was wrong... And both of our charges have paid the price for my impetuousness...

"Fortunately, my readings tell me that all of our charges shall live to fight another day. I'm sure you are as relieved by that news as I am.

"But Charles--You tried to take what is mine! I allowed that once. I will not allow it to happen again! You now know where I am, Charles, and what I am doing. You get but one warning: Stay out of my business. If you--or any of your charges--attempt to interfere with me, I will deal with them. And if I do that, Charles, I will deal with them **personally**!"

With the threat hanging in the air, the voice faded out, leaving Xavier once again alone in his mansion...

-------------------


	9. Epilogue

Nasty Boyz

-------------------

Late afternoon in Salem Center...

Clad in his trademark slacks and sweater, Scott Summers stood by the window of his room. Scott's right arm was in a light cast and sling, and his normally loose clothes fit snugly over his heavily bandaged body. On his face were a new pair of ruby-lensed sunglasses. In the back of his mind, Scott noted that this pair hadn't quite been broken in yet...

Scott felt numb. And not just because of all the painkillers running through his system. Emotionally, he was drained. The emotional and physical extremes he'd experienced over the past two days had taken an enormous toll on him. And the things he'd learned...

As Scott looked out at the overcast sky, all expression slowly drained from his face. It was drizzling outside, and Scott could occasionally hear the quiet sound of distant thunder. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, and Scott could feel the cool outdoor air slip through the edges of the window. 

Scott couldn't help but notice the appropriateness of the weather. The bleakness of it seemed so... Fitting. The weather put Scott into a contemplative mood. Overcast days always had. For as long as Scott could remember--today being no exception--overcast days had been days for brooding. And Scott, of all people, knew how to brood...

It had all started when he had been dropped off at the orphanage. In the previous year, Scott had lost his family to a plane crash, suffered a severe concussion, and had gone through a succession of foster families. The loss of his parents had caused Scott to retreat from the world, turning him into a shy, withdrawn child. A silent wraith, just going through the motions of life.

None of the foster families knew how to deal with Scott. Few of them wanted to. Even Scott himself didn't want them to... In the end, Scott was dropped off at an orphanage in Missouri. Abandoned. 

The sky was overcast when Scott was dropped off. The other kids were playing inside. Scott could have joined them, if he wanted. He was new, they didn't know anything about him. They would have accepted him. But at that point, all Scott wanted was to be left alone. So he stayed outside.

Before long, it had begun to rain. Still, Scott stayed outside. He stood in the center of the yard, staring into the sky. To Scott's young mind, this was an act of defiance. A symbolic gesture to the world. It was his way of saying that whatever the world did to him, it wouldn't break him.

Not that the world didn't try. The pain of being alone had only just begun to eat away at Scott. Though he didn't know the term, he was also caught in the throes of survivor's guilt. Not long after, Scott's mutant power manifested. First in the form of severe headaches. Then in uncontrollable optic blasts.

This led to a new level of alienation for Scott. Worse, a new level of self-imposed isolation. A paralyzing fear that he would hurt anyone he came in contact with. Eventually, Professor Xavier and his Institute stepped in to help Scott. But this only led to more troubles. The Brotherhood. Mystique.

And now, the Nasty Boyz. They had been the world's best shot at breaking him. They were a more than a match for Scott. Both physically, and mentally. And they had taken him completely unawares. As Scott continued to stare at the sky in his age old act of defiance, he contemplated just how close they **had** come to breaking him. 

The sky was momentarily lit by lightning. As the ensuing thunder rumbled across the mansion, the events of the past few days replayed in Scott's head. The events moved by like a blur. A senseless stream of actions and images, periodically punctuated by sonic booms and flashes of red.

Then, in a moment of clarity, Scott saw himself in his final confrontation with Alec. It was early in the fight, right after Alec unleashed his sonic blast. The effort had left Alec exhausted. Scott was still on his feet, standing on the other side of the battlefield. One blow would have finished the fight. Just one optic blast...

Scott closed his eyes in resignation as the ensuing events rushed through his mind. His visor jammed. The ruby quartz lens became locked in place. Deprived of any ranged attack, Scott charged forward. The fight that followed was the most physical, brutal, and violent confrontation of Scott's life.

It didn't have to happen like that. It didn't have to happen at all. Scott could have still ended the fight without getting physical. He could have ended it cleanly. He could have used his optic blast. All he had to have done... Was take off his visor.

That thought echoed through Scott's consciousness. It was easy to explain why doing so didn't occur to Scott at the time. He was in the heat of battle. He had been hurt badly. He wasn't thinking clearly.

But he was. By that time, Scott had regained control of his emotions. He was furious, but he was in control. And Scott always thought through his options in a fight. No matter how bad the situation was. Yet, somehow, he overlooked this option.

Standing in the mansion, Scott could only come to one conclusion: he hadn't overlooked that option. He ignored it. He didn't take off his visor because he didn't want to finish the fight cleanly. He wanted Alec to suffer for what he had done. He wanted Alec punished. And he wanted to do it personally. He wanted to beat Alec down, with his own fists...

For a moment, Scott's head dropped. He had always prided himself on the fact that he was a peaceful man. That deep down, Scott Summers would rather settle things with words than with blows. But now... Now...

The Nasty Boyz hadn't come close to breaking him. They did break him.

"He's got a broken arm, fractured collarbone, four cracked ribs, bruised kidney, and a punctured lung... And he's already up and about." Logan's dry chuckle brought Scott's thoughts back to the present. "I like you, kid. Ya remind me of me."

Still chuckling, Logan made his way across Scott's room. He stopped at Scott's side, and leaned casually against the window sill. "Okay, Scotty, the Professor said you wanted to talk ta me. What's on your mind?"

Ordinarily, Scott would have looked at Logan before responding. But not today. Today, it hurt to move. "During the mission," Scott began, still staring out the window. "Before all the fighting, I spent a lot of time talking to Alec. Ruckus. He told me that he was working as an agent. Just like you and I work for Xavier, he was working for a man named Nathan Essex."

"...Which means Essex is the man responsible for everything that happened that night," finished Logan. "And he got off scot-free. I hate the guy already. You talk to Charles about this?"

Scott nodded, almost imperceptibly. "Yeah. The Professor said... That he'd never heard of him. I was hoping you might've. I figured that since you ran solo until just recently--plus all your black-op work before that--you may have run across the name. Somewhere..."

"I see what you're gettin' at kid. But..." Logan sighed, dejectedly. "But I can't recall ever hearing the name Nathan Essex. That doesn't mean I haven't... You know how it is with me and my black-op days. Just can't remember much of anything from back then..."

"It was a shot," commented Scott.

"Yeah," agreed Logan. "Had ta try... Look Scott, I want this guy. Prob'ly not as bad as you, but I still want ta see him brought down. I'll keep an eye out. Maybe see if I can't find a few of my old contacts. Run through some databases. At the very least, we'll try to match a face to the name..." Logan sighed again. "It'll take some time, but I'm on it. In the mean time, you rest up. The Prof. said we ain't goin' back to Newark for a while. Not 'til he can get Cerebro to get a full scan of the area... But when he does--and when we do go back--you'll need you to be nice and healthy if you plan on going back with us!"

"Yeah." For the first time in the conversation, Scott's voice held a note of happiness in it. "I will, Logan. Count on it."

With a smirk, Wolverine pushed off the walk, and walked to the door. But as he reached the threshold, he paused. "By the way Scott, good job back there. Don't know how you held it together, but ya did. Better than anyone else would have. Ya ought'a be proud."

Logan's footsteps echoed down the hallway, leaving Scott once again alone with his thoughts.

"Proud?" Scott softly repeated. "Proud..."

As he stood listening to the rain, the word echoed through Scott's mind. It kept echoing, to the point where it had lost all meaning, whatsoever.

"Scott?" Rouge's soft voice pieced Scott's reverie. She was standing in Scott's doorway, and her tone indicated she may have been there for some time.

"Uh, sorry Rogue. Didn't notice you there. Did you... You need to talk?"

Rogue slowly made her way across the room. "No... Yeah... Ah don't know. Ah just wanted ta know if ya're okay?"

Scott paused a moment before responding. "No. No. I'm not okay..."

"Ah guess none of us are, really," Rouge weakly responded. ""Specially Kitty. She's... She's real shook up about you, an' how you... how she didn't notice..."

"I know what your getting at Rogue," Scott softly soothed.

Rogue nodded, distraught, and clearly not sure what to say next. Ultimately, she said nothing. Breaking her gaze away from Scott, she looked forlornly out the window. For a moment, the pair stared silently at the rain.

"Look, Scott, Ah really want ta thank ya for what ya've done for me since Ah got here. Ah mean... When Mystique was after us. Back there--when it was just ya an' me an' them... Ya... Ya really didn't have ta do that for me..."

"Yes I did, Rogue," soothed Scott.

"But... Scott, ya were almost killed, protectin' me. Twice. Am I really worth--"

"Rogue, listen to me." Though quiet, Scott's words had an unmistakable force behind them. Rogue looked up at Scott, and found his ruby lenses staring her in the face. "You're an X-Man. That makes you are my friend. My family. My team! And I--" Remember when he had last uttered those words, Scott choked on them. "And as long as you're one of us, I will protect you. No matter what."

"Ya... Ya mean that?"

"I wouldn't be at the Institute if I didn't."

Somewhat overwhelmed, Rogues' eyes fluttered. She quickly averted her gaze a few stray tears escaped her. "Really? That--That's more than anyone's ever done..." Rouge discretely wiped her eyes and turned back to Scott. "Ya don't know how much that means ta me."

Scott didn't respond, but the glimmerings of a smile played across his face. Thunder rumbled again, and Scott returned his gaze to the sky. But as he did, his bleak expression returned. As Rogue watched, his expression worsened. Within a moment, Rogue could have sworn he was scowling.

"Scott?"

"He lied to me, Rogue."

It was a simple statement, yet it seemed to mean the world to Scott. Unsettled by the sudden change in the mood, Rogue took a questioning step forward. "Ya mean Alec? Look Scott--"

"No. No, not Alec. Xavier."

"Wha--What?" Rogue was taken aback. Both by the gravity of what Scott said, and the bluntness with which he said it. "What do ya mean, Scott?"

Scott responded with an emotionless monotone. "This morning, the Professor and I were going through a debriefing. Piecing together just what had happened back there. And why... I mentioned Nathan Essex--the guy who was giving orders to Alec and the others. The man who orchestrated that whole event..."

"Waitaminute!" Cut in Rogue. "Ya mean Alec wasn't the leader?! But he said--"

"Oh, Alec was the leader, all right," Scott dryly responded. "Alec is the leader of the Nasty Boyz, just like Lance is the leader of the Brotherhood." Scott paused a moment, then continued is a much quieter voice. "...We lead... But we still take orders..."

Rogue didn't catch the change is Scott's wording. "But... Where does the Professor come intah this? Where'd he lie?"

"When I brought up Essex," Scott responded stoically, "I asked if the Professor if he had ever heard that name before. And the Professor... He looked me straight in the eye... And he lied." Scott's voice faded to a whisper. "He said no."

"Hold on Scott," said a very concerned Rogue. "Ya can't know that for sure--"

"But I can, Rogue. I can." Scott's face voice hardened with resolve. "You're still new at the Institute, but I've been here for years. I **know** the Professor..."

Unnerved, Rogue said nothing, waiting for Scott to continue. When he did, he did so as if in a trance. "...The Professor doesn't like lying. But, if he feels lying necessary, if he feels the truth is too damaging, too overwhelming, he will. Truthfully, I've only seen it once before, when I was still new to the Institute. I... I asked him why he was in a wheelchair. He looked at me, and told me it had been an accident. A car accident...

"At the time, I accepted the answer. I was young. I was still scared. I wanted to believe that something like that was an accident. After all, it was so much like what had happened to me... I'm not sure I could have handled it if someone had deliberately done that to the Professor. To me. To anyone...

"I accepted the Professor's answer, but for some reason, I never forgot the look on his face when he gave it to me. There was just... Something about it..." Scott trailed off for a long moment. "I never figured out exactly what happened to the Professor's legs. And the Professor never told me he lied. But... Somewhere along the way, I just realized that it hadn't been that incidental. That... Someone had **meant** to cripple the Professor.

"...And looking back, I think that's the way the Professor wanted it. He wanted me to understand what could happen in the world... But he wanted me to do it in my own time. When I could handle it." Scott's voice again faded away.

"And, now?" Rogue knew Scott was telling her this for a reason, but she didn't know what that reason was. In truth, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the reason.

"...And now," finished Scott, "when I asked the Professor about Essex, he looked at me the same way he did when I asked about his wheelchair. The exact. Same. Way." Scott paused again. Rogue could swear she saw him shudder. "The look was the same, but his voice... There was something different about his voice...

"There's something in Newark, Rogue. Something... Worse... Than the Nasty Boyz. And Nathan Essex is at the heart of it. ...I don't know. It may be Nathan himself... But whatever it is, the Professor doesn't think I--or any of us--can handle it. Worse, I think it scares him."

Rogue's voice had a concerned undertone to it. "Scott, Ah know the Professah just came clean to ya'all about Mystique... But didn't he at least acknowledge her first? Didn't ya always know she was around?" After a slight pause, Rogue continued in a whisper. "What could be so bad, that... That he won't even admit it exists?"

"I..." For the first time since she had met him, Scott's voice a had a quiver of fear in it. "I don't know. And that scares me. That scares the **hell** out of me..."

Again, Scott shuddered. And the sight of this sent a chill down Rogue's spine. Not knowing what else to do, she slipped a comforting arm around his shoulder. A flicker across his face acknowledged the gesture, and a moment later, he did the same. Together, the paired stared out into the rain.

...And neither of them could bring themselves to say anything further. Not for a **long** time...

...End....


	10. Author's Notes

I heard everything Marie said about the Institute and all that, but

-----------------------------

Whoo! There you have it folks: the Nasty Boyz! A story eight months in the making, and 200k in the reading. Quite a ride, eh?

To be perfectly honest, I'm kinda surprised about the reaction to this piece. After all, the Evolution section is filled with happy fluff, mushy romances and the ever-present 'new mutant sagas.' Who would have thought there were people in this fandom who actually want to read a fight story? Especially one of this magnitude...

In any case, due to the strong response to the story, and because just I'm a raging egomaniac with an overblown sense of self-importance (hey--its not like you guys said anything to dissuade me from that notion) I've decided to add on this little segment. This, in case you haven't read the title, is the author's notes. In it, I'll talk about the story's origins, aspects of writing it, and anything else that comes to mind. Additionally, just like a Special Edition DVD, this section will include some original notes, and a scene left on the cutting room floor!

-----------------------------

Sequels

Let me get this out of the way first. There will be no sequels to Nasty Boyz. While I have toyed with the idea of writing one (two actually) and even came up with a cast and general outline, they are simply not going to get written. 

First off, I just don't have the time. You wouldn't believe the amount of time it took me to churn those oh-so-crucial fight scenes. (Then again, some of you long-time readers probably would.)

Second, the Evolution fandom is not the same as it was when I first started writing. A crucial part of writing something in a fandom is reading other stories in the fandom. You read other stories to get inspiration for your own story. I...just...don't read Evolution stories anymore. I just don't enjoy them. When I browse through the Evolution section, I inevitably leave disappointed or pissed off... 

In essence, I've moved on. Nasty Boyz was originally conceived as a stand-alone story, and thus it will end up remaining one. Any further repercussions of the story will be confined to my imagination.

...And yours. If that sounds like a challenge, it just might be...

-----------------------------

"The name is Sinister. Mister Sinister."

Some of you already know this, but there are probably some out there who don't. There are no original characters in Nasty Boyz. The X-Men, of course, are all cannon Evolution characters. But even the others--Essex, Alec, Vertigo, etc--are based on pre-existing Marvel characters.

Lets start with the big one: Dr. Nathaniel Essex. Dr. Essex began his life as a 19th century geneticist. He was also one of the first mutants. He experimented on himself, increasing his longevity and radifing his own mutation. Over time, Essex's interest in genetics turned into an obsession. The result of this obsession was that Essex became determined to control mutant evolution. Nathan began seeking out mutants, and studying them. He intended to find the most powerful mutants around, and then selectively breed them--creating even more powerful mutants. For a long time, Essex worked in secret. When he did finally show himself, he had taken on a new name. One that suited him better than his given name. He simply called himself Mister Sinister.

Which is where Cyclops comes in. If you read comics, you already know the story behind this. But for those of you who don't, here's a brief explanation. ...Its pretty much the same as what I said in the story. Scott Summers is one of--if not the--most import mutants in history. When his genes are combined with those of Jean Grey, they produce the most powerful psis in the Marvel Universe. (Psis--those with psionic power. Telepathy. Telekinesis. And general Psychokinetic abilities.)

This has made Scott a target for many a megamaniacal mutant. Sinister included. Sinister was one of the first to take an interest in Scott. He really did run the orphanage where Scott spent much of his young life. And he has hounded Scott ever since. Sinister even went so far as to clone Jean so that Scott would create a son. That would be Cable, for those who care. And in an alternate universe, Sinister even tampered with Summers DNA directly, creating a test-tube baby named Nate Grey. You might know him as the 'X-Man.'

-----------------------------

"I've heard the name. Frankly, I'm not impressed."

So that explains Essex, but what about the Boyz? Alec, Erin and the like... Well, here I took a few creative liberties. You could look, but I'm pretty sure you won't find the name 'Alec Cranston' in the official Marvel Universe. Indeed, I'm not entirely sure that Ruckus exists in the official Marvel U.

Instead, the Nasty Boyz have a much different origin. They were taken directly from X-Men, the animated series. The Fox animated series. I'm sure a few of you remember that one. In that series, they served as Sinister's henchmen. They debuted in season two, and continued to show up throughout the rest of the series. The were the most effective super-team the X-Men went against, and with the exception of Sentinels, probably the most formidable foes on the show.

The team consisted of Ruckus, George, and two grunts--whom I dubbed Bas and 'Lith. (Bas as in Basilisk and 'Lith as in Monolith.) Beginning in season three, Vertigo joined the team. Previous, Vertigo had been an agent of Sinister in the Savage Land. Anthro was based on anther operative from the Savage Land. He, however, did not appear in later episodes, and was added to my cast mainly to serve as a plot device. I tried to keep the powers and attitudes of the Boyz similar to those shown in the series, but did take several liberties. Additionally, their civilian names are purely subjective.

-----------------------------

"So, Sinister, you like playing God with other people's lives?!"

'Course, if you've seen the Fox series, then you knew about all that. And you probably also thought that this whole story seemed a bit familiar. In fact, I'll bet you can identify at least one bit of dialog that I took directly from the original show...

The truth is, this story developed after I re-watched what I consider to be the high-point of the Fox Series. The second season. Specifically, the big second season finale. Man, that had everything. They built up to it the whole season, then when the end finally came, it came with a bang. A huge fight scene involving Xavier, Sinister, Magneto, the X-Men, Nasty Boys Dinosaurs... It even had the minor leaguers like Ka-Zar and Sauron. And MORPH! Morph! Man I miss that guy...

Well, you can see why it gripped my imagination. 

My mind mulled it over for about a week, I drew up an outline, started typing, and the rest, as they say, is history.

-----------------------------

"You really expect us to believe all that?"

Some of you may notice some other familiar aspects of my fic. Namely, it seems to follow the same path as Turn of the Rogue--Scott and Rogue-separated from others-some desperate circumstances-Scott almost getting killed--you get the idea. Same formula, just on a larger scale.

Believe it or not, The story was conceived--and the first part written--well before Turn of the Rogue first aired. The original outline--shown later--was written way back in December of 2000. Speed and Spyke had just aired. We finally had the full cast, but people (Rogue) weren't quite where they would eventually end up.

Still, I went ahead with the fic, and just gave my best guess as to what would happen. In my own mind, the story was set as the opener of Season Two. 'Course the rest of the season eventually unfolded and I modified my story and added things as I went along. In particular, the events from Turn of the Rogue got integrated into the ending.

I suppose you could also argue that the Kitty--Wolverine interactions were inspired by the events of Grim Reminder, but that's only partially true. Most of those events were planned--more or less--when the story was first conceived. Shadowcat and Wolverine have a big history together in the comics. Grim Reminder just made me refocus on them.

-----------------------------

"My Virus... My **beautiful** virus..."

In the beginning of chapter 8, Xavier mentions that 'There are only three mutants in the world' who will trigger Cerebro's Priority On Alert. Just so you know, the three mutants are Erik Magnus Leshnir (Magneto), Dr. Nathaniel Essex (Sinister) and En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse).

Its also interesting to note that all three of these mutants have a special place in their heart for Scotty Summers. Sinister's interests have already been explained. Magneto has often paid particular preference to Cyclops, best illustrated in The Cauldron and the first story arc of Ultimate X-Men. However, this is because of Cyclops' fighting and leadership capabilities, and because Scott is Xavier's surrogate son. Apocalypse has also haunted Cyclops, for similar reasons as Sinister. On multiple occasions, Apocalypse has attempted to claim one of Scott's children as a new 'host body.' Of course, Cyclops himself would do in a pinch...

-----------------------------

"Seems like every mutant in the world is in on ths..."

And now the part you've been waiting for: The bonus features! First, the original cast and outline for the fic. Remember, this was drafted way back in December--a good eight months before the story was finished. Take a look through. And judge for yourself how much how much I stuck to the plan, and how much I made up as I went...

Nasty Boyz

Cast:

A. Ruckus15Alec Cranston

----Sonic Scream

----Wild, flamboyant, controlling

----Australian

B. Vertigo17Erin Valchek

----Disorientation--blanket or blasts from hands

----Confident, sassy, hits on Ruckus

----American

C. George16George Dawson

----Shapeshifter--goup-like

----Quiet, withdrawn, the brains

----American--Goth

D. Basilisk16Bas Hill

----Bestial strength/agility

----Overly aggressive, wild, impetuous, stupid

----Black

E. 'Lith16Jason Thompson

----Strength & invulnerability (unbreakable skin)

----Bully, quiet, disciplined

----Jock

F. Ferris14

----Feral--tracker

----No outside life

Plot: Day One

I. On the Road to New Jersey

--Scott and Rogue in convertible

*bickering

*exposition

II. At the school--end of class

--Rogue seeks out Erin

*Scott hangs back

*Rogue told to buzz off. Harshly

--Scott and Bas do some verbal posturing

III. 'Park'

--Rogue (stubbornly) tries again

*Boyz get aggressive

*Scott steps up

*Scott/Erin face-off

IV. At Scott's car

--Rogue reports

*Admits failure, but says Scott got through

*Xavier talks to Scott

*Sets up plans

V. Ruckus' place

--Ruckus reports

~Keep it cryptic

*Ruckus receives instructions.

VI. Hotel room

--Settle in for night

*Bickering, general conversation

Day Two

VII. Hotel

--Wake-up call

~Keep it brief

VIII. At the school cafeteria

--Lunch --Scott, Rogue, Alec, Erin & George

*Erin agrees to after-school pitch

*Alec hints at counter-pitch

IX. Erin's house

--Counter-pitch to Scott

*Erin questions Scott's situation

*Alec explains his (situation)

--Rogue hangs back

*Argues with Bas

*Ferris shows up

--Fight

*Scott refuses

*Rogue gets pounded

*Scott creates escape route--Rogue escapes

*Scott takes a pounding and runs

X. Scott's Car

--Rogue reports

*X-Men Assemble.

XI. Erin's place

--Ruckus reports

*Nate says X-Men are coming

*Call back trackers--Ruckus trashes hydrant

*Rendezvous at abandoned lot

XII. Street

--Trackers retreat

*Scott gets Ferris' communicator

*Lurches to rendezvous point.

XIII. Blackbird

--Full team disembarks

*Follow Rogue to Erin's house

*Wolverine tracks Boyz to abandoned lot

XIV. Ambush

--X-Men show up, take a pounding

*Spyke, Storm, & 'Crawler taken out

*Shadowcat reports

*'Lith breaks Wolvie's neck

--Scott returns

*Scott open a can...

*Wolverine goes berserk

*Various X-Men recover

*Only Ruckus remains

XV. Retreat

--Xavier monitors fight

*Cerebro detects Sinister

*Xavier orders retreat

*Sinister mocks Xavier

XVI. Mansion

--Scott debriefed

*Scott mentions 'Nate Essex'

--Scott and Rogue talk

*Scott is very disturbed.

End.

-----------------------------

"Hang on Everyone. We're going in!"

Last section, folks. The cut scene... Actually, its not really a 'cut scene.' Its just the first draft of a scene that got rewritten...

The scene comes from way back in chapter 4. The Flashpoint. The scene that changes the story from a 'recruiting' story so a 'fight' story. Its the scene where Scott and Alec spend three pages speaking in hushed tones about the future of mutants. I'm sure you remember it...

The scene touches on a lot of themes that run throughout the story. In fact, it was intended to be the pinnacle scene of the fic. However, after I had written it, I ultimately decided it veered too far off Evolution cannon. And Scott started veering off character, as well. Still, it does cover a bunch of themes that didn't quite surface in the rewrite, or in anything written afterwards, so I think it still adds something to the story.

Enjoy.

"I heard everything Marie said about the Institute and all that, but..." Alec broke off. "What's it really like living there? Is it pretty care free, or are you burdened down with responsibilities and all that?"

Scott considered his words carefully before responding in the same hushed tone. "Kinda. There is a lot of responsibility involved. But some kids do have it harder than others." Scott saw Alec's confused look and tapped his glasses. "For some of us, just controlling our powers is a big responsibility."

"Ah..."

"But there are some more important responsibilities," continued Scott, eager to have something to take his mind off his paranoia. "Part of the reason why the Institute teaches mutants to control their powers is so their powers don't go off in public. If the presence of mutants becomes common knowledge, bad things will happen. People will panic. Panic would soon give way to hysteria, violence, riots... All because of some imagined threat posed my mutants in communities."

"But mate, the threat isn't imagined." Alec's tone became even more hushed, adding to its gravity. "Mutants can be a threat to normal people. Look at what Erin did to you and your friend. If you didn't have that little blast of yours, there's no tellin' what she could'a done to you..."

"That's true," conceded Scott. "But the Institute does have a way with dealing with that sort of thing. There is a... Well... Militant aspect to the Institute. If a mutant is creating trouble by using their powers recklessly, some of the Institute's senior members are sent out to deal with the mutant."

Alec regarded Scott for a moment. "So, if a mutant doesn't join you, you take 'em down..."

"No, its not like that," Scott quickly corrected. "If a mutant doesn't want to come to the Institute, that's fine. If they want to live a quiet life without using their powers, we let them. But when they start using their powers publicly, or start using their powers violently, then they become a threat to themselves, and the entire mutant community. That's the only case where we use force."

"So basically, the Institute is trying to control mutant activity."

"'Control' is a bad word for it," said Scott. "It's more like guiding mutant activity. Keeping mutants out of trouble."

"That's not much of a difference, mate," Alec interjected, bluntly. 

"I think it is."

Alec shrugged, dropping the subject. "But what about the future? Eventually, people will find out about mutants. All the Institutes in the world can't prevent that. What will the Institute do then? I've heard rumors..." Alec broke off, leaning in a bit closer. "I've heard there are groups out there who think mutants are destined to rule the world..."

Scott's brow furrowed, all his earlier paranoia returning with a vengeance. "There are people that believe that... But not us. The Institute believes that Humans and Mutants can, and will, live peacefully together. As **equals**." Scott put lots of emphasis on this last word.

Alec leaned in closer. "You said 'the Institute believes,' Scott. What do **you** believe?"

Ordinarily, Scott would have agreed with the Institute's position instantly. But today, his paranoia made him pause. Thoughts he usually ignored began surfacing. As he sorted these thoughts, he stared past Alec, his sunglasses hiding any emotion his eyes would have shown. "I believe," he said at length, "that we will eventually coexist. Peacefully."

"So do I," agreed Alec. "But that won't be for a while. And before we do, things are gunna get bad." Scott continued staring past Alec. "You know that as well as I do. So what will the Institute do when everything hits the fan?"

Scott grimaced. "I don't know."

"That's the kicker, ain't it mate?" Alec sighed, and, and began looking past Scott. "Everything about our lives are determined by the decisions somebody else makes. But we don't know what they'll do. Nor why. We're just pawns in the games of those in power..."

Scott looked up at this comment. "We're not pawns, Alec. We can make our own decisions."

"True," conceded Alec. "We can make our own decisions. But those decisions only have so much effect on our lives. The decisions of the bosses are what really drive our lives. What the Institute thinks has more effect on your life than what you think." Alec paused for emphasis. "Other people will always make decisions for you. But... You can choose who makes those decisions."

Keeping his expression passive, Scott gave Alec a sideways glance. 'Okay... This is getting weird,' he thought. 'Just what is Alec getting at?'

"Scott, you don't trust the Institute." With this blunt statement, Alec stared into Scott's glasses. "If you did, we wouldn't be talking like this."

"I trust them," Scott replied, almost defiantly.

"Implicitly? Do you trust them with your life? Or your friends'? Do you think the Institute will protect you all when everything hits the fan?" Scott's gaze fell slightly. This prompted Alec to continue in an even more earnest tone. "Mate, if you don't trust them, you shouldn't let them run your life."

"And what would you suggest doing?"

Alec's face hardened. "Scott, Erin's mom isn't coming here. Erin doesn't live with her mom. She lives alone."

"What?" Scott wasn't expecting that, and his expression showed it.

Alec spoke slowly, considering each word carefully. "A few years ago, a man named Nathan Essex found Erin. He made her an offer. She accepted."

"What kind of offer?" Scott prompted. "And why?"

"Why? Because she's a mutant," Alec replied bluntly. "Nate has plan, Scott. He knows that Humans and Mutants are headed for a conflict. He also knows that one way or another, that fight will be resolved. But when the fighting is over, we're all going to live together."

"We've already talked about that," interrupted Scott. "Where does Erin fit into this?"

"When the fighting starts, people are going to die. Mutants will die. And all their potential will die with them. Nathan's plan is to find the mutants with the most potential, and protect them. He'll keep them safe so that after the fighting is over, so they'll still be around to do some good."

The cynic in Scott took over. "So Mr. Essex found Erin, now she's living under his protection... What's the catch?"

"What makes you think there's a catch?"

"There's always a catch," retorted Scott. "Even with the Institute."

"Touché," said Alec, with a smirk. "The catch is that, for now, Erin has to keep a low profile. Finish school, maybe get a job, all that. She just has to act normal. When the fighting starts, Nate will protect 'er, in whatever ways he sees fit. After that, she works for him. Just like you work for the Institute."

"What kind of work?" Demanded Scott.

Alec leaned back into his chair. "The Institute thinks that Humans and Mutants will live as equals. Nate doesn't. Mutants are just too powerful to be treated normally. Nate wants everyone to have the same rights and all that, but Mutants will have a special part to play in society."

"Rulers?" Interjected Scott.

"Not quite," corrected Alec. "They'll be given positions where their powers can be used productively. Entertainment. Special Construction. Enforcement. Exploration. Thing that are too dangerous or inefficient for normal Humans."

"The mutant elite..."

Alec nodded. "Pretty much, mate. After the fighting, Nate will be in a position to make all that happen. And the mutants he collects now will be the first ones he helps. They'll become his agents. His poster-boys. Icons for other people to look up to, and emulate."

Alec and Scott locked gazes. "Scott, Nate wants you for his team. Of all the mutants he's seen, he sees the most potential in you. You could be his ultimate icon..."

"I don't think so..."

"Scott, consider this for a moment. Right now, you're tied to the Institute. You're just a pawn, subject to every whim and decision they make. With Nate, you'll have control. Once everything's in place, you'll be in a position of power! You'll have the power to help shape the world in any way you want!"

Scott's expression hardened. "I don't think so."

"Scott, think about what you're doing..." Alec's seemed haughty now. "You're turning down a chance for everything... Just to be a pawn for some old guys in an Institute..."

"No, Alec." Scott sat forward in his chair, staring defiantly at Alec. "I'm not a pawn of the Institute. I **am** the Institute!"

"You're deluded," scoffed Alec.

"No, Alec. I am the senior student at the Institute. I've watched every kid there since the moment they stepped through the doors. I know each student just as well as anyone else in the Institute. They are my family. My friends. My team. **My** team." Scott paused, his scowl deepening. "And when everything hits the fan, if the Institute can't protect them, I will."

Alec regarded Scott with stunned expression on his face. "You... You really believe that, don't you..."

Abruptly, Scott got up. "Rogue. We're leaving."

-----------------------------

And that, my friends, is that. I hope this story has been worth your time.

---Crash---


End file.
